


To Challenge The Flow of Fate

by RagingBookDragon



Category: Castlevania (Cartoon), 悪魔城ドラキュラ | Castlevania Series
Genre: Awkward Romance, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Eventual Romance, Explicit Language, Protective Siblings, Romance, Season 1 & 2, Seriously Trevor and the reader just insult each other anytime they can, Sibling Bonding, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 23,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23924605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RagingBookDragon/pseuds/RagingBookDragon
Summary: What’s better than one annoying Belmont? Two annoying Belmonts. Except the second one isn’t thrilled about hunting the supernatural as her brother is. One has to wonder what would happen if you stuck a sympathetic monster hunter and a cynical Dhampir together? Certainly not love. That only happens in fairytales. Though, Dracula did marry a human, so crazier things have happened.Update: This was recently titled, 'To Challenge The Flow Of Immortality', but I changed it after mistakenly saving a chapter in my files as what it is now. I feel that it fits better!
Relationships: Alucard (Castlevania)/Reader, Alucard (Castlevania)/You, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/Reader, Alucard | Adrian Tepes | Arikado Genya/You
Comments: 20
Kudos: 135





	1. The Second Belmont

**Author's Note:**

> I really wish I was decent at summaries, but I think the first summary for this story might just suck no matter what I do. Hopefully the next few chapters will be better! You can find this on my Tumblr, 'RagingBookDragon'! I hope you enjoy! -Thorne

Her eyes snapped open the second after they hit the ground, and she shoved at the legs across her torso. “Trevor. Get the fuck off me before I amputate both your legs.” His chuckle quickly dissolved into a groan as he rolled off her, clutching at his stomach, and she leaned up, hands coming to her side to help push herself up. She muttered to herself as she dusted off her pants, slipping the sword back into its scabbard, _“What type of genius lands on metal beams that have been under the goddamn ground for who knows how goddamn long?”_ Trevor rolled his eyes as he helped Sypha to her feet and retorted,

“Will you stop _complaining_ (Y/N)? You’re _alive_ , _aren’t you_?” She jerked around, narrowing her eyes into a glare.

“You won’t be in the next few minutes if we don’t find a way out of here.” When Sypha found her feet, he looked over at (Y/N), pulling a smug face.

“And what are you gonna do? _Stab me_?” Her hand went to her hilt and she spat,

_“Don’t tempt me you arse.”_ Trevor stuck his tongue out at her, but stopped when the Speaker next to them groaned,

“Will you two _please_ stop _fighting_? You’re acting like _children_.” The siblings glared at each other for a moment before they scoffed and began walking to the hallway. They entered the room, and (Y/N) immediately drew her eyes around the walls.

“Wow…look at this place…it’s amazing.” She drew her gaze to the center of the room, scanning the large coffin. _“Is that what I think it is?”_ Trevor shrugged and muttered,

“Won’t know ‘til we find out.” No sooner did the words leave his mouth, did his foot sink into the ground. The sound of gears turning echoed through the room and he blurted, _“I didn’t do that.”_ (Y/N) glowered at him from his right and quipped,

_“Nice goin’ loser. You just woke up whatever’s in there.”_ Before he could retort, a cloud of gas released from the coffin and they stared at it as it rose, the top sliding off. She leaned over slightly, voice soft as she murmured, _“Trevor…is that…”_ He nodded, lips pursed into a thin line, and (Y/N) gripped the hilt of her sword. The lid dropped against the marble with loud thunk, and she felt it resonate in her chest as the man rose from it, coming to levitate above it. He hunched over, voice low and gravely as he asked,

“Why are you here?” Sypha’s eyes grew wide as she exclaimed,

“The story…the Messiah sleeps under Gresit! The man who will save us from Dracula.” The man didn’t respond, simply turning his attention to (Y/N) and Trevor.

“And you two? Are you in search of a mythical savior as well?” (Y/N) opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off as her brother remarked,

“I fell down a hole.” She grunted, elbowing him in the side.

_“Will you fucking shut the hell up before you say something even more stupid?”_ He eyed her from the corner of his eye, tempted to stick his tongue out again, and she turned to the man. “We need your help.” Sypha nodded, adding,

“Dracula is abroad in the land. He has an army of monsters and is determined to wipe out all human life wherever he finds it.” The man’s head simply tipped as he acknowledged her, but then asked,

“Is that what _you_ believe?”

“That Dracula’s released his horde on Wallachia? That’s fact. There’s no belief involved.” (Y/N) watched carefully as her brother spoke, hand tightening around the hilt of her sword as his voice dropped and he questioned, “But that’s not what you’re asking.”

“No.” Trevor drew his gaze up and clarified,

“You’re asking if I believe you’re some sleeping Messiah who’ll save us and _no, I don’t_.” Even Sypha’s shocked call of his name didn’t stop him as he growled, _“I know what you are.”_ (Y/N) knew a grin was on the man’s face as he challenged,

_“And what am I?”_

“You’re a _vampire_.” At this, the man finally looked up at them and with Sypha’s gasp in her ears, she caught sight of pointed fangs. “So, I have to ask myself, have we come down here to wake up the man who’ll _kill_ Dracula…or did we come here to wake _Dracula_?” The man rose to his full height, but before he could speak, (Y/N) announced,

_“He’s not Dracula.”_ Everyone’s eyes turned to her, and Trevor scoffed,

“He’s a _vampire_ _(Y/N). Under Gresit._ That doesn’t leave a lot of room for misinterpretations.” She side eyed him before glancing at the vampire, eyes scanning his face.

_“And Dracula’s forces are attacking Wallachia in a war on humanity. No person, not even a vampire, would sleep as they waged war. You have to be awake and present.”_ She observed the man for a moment. _“Trevor, he might be a vampire…but he isn’t Dracula.”_ The vampire lowered towards the ground, eyeing (Y/N) as she inconspicuously moved to Trevor’s blindside.

“One calls me Dracula…the other doesn’t.” Trevor grunted at him.

“I’ll call you whatever you like if you’re gonna show me your teeth.” The vampire gestured to Sypha.

“She called you Belmont…are you from the House of Belmont?” (Y/N) could feel the tension rising as Trevor affirmed,

_“Trevor Belmont. Last son of the House of Belmont.”_ The man glanced at (Y/N).

“And you? The one who is standing at his back?” (Y/N) met his eyes, amazed at how they looked like pools of molten gold.

_“(Y/N) Belmont. Last daughter of the House of Belmont.”_ The man’s eyebrows pulled together, and he explained,

“The Belmont’s fought creatures of the night, did they not? For generations.” Trevor barely spared the two women glances before he moved, ignoring (Y/N)’s hum of concern.

“Say what you mean.” He threatened, stepping to the sides, watching as the man’s eyes followed him.

“The Belmont’s _killed_ vampires.” Trevor huffed.

_“Until the good people decided they didn’t want us around.”_ The nonchalance made (Y/N)’s fingers twitch as she started moving the other direction, opposite of Trevor. The vampire’s eyes darted to her moving figure, letting her know he was aware as he said,

“And now Dracula is carrying out an execution order on the human race.” He paused, then raised a hand. _“Do you care Belmont?”_ The question gave Trevor a pause, and he looked at the wall in front of him.

“Honestly, I didn’t, no.” He took a breath and continued. “But now… _yes, it’s time to stop it_.”

_“Do you think you can?”_ Trevor turned, hand moving to his whip and declared,

“What I think…is _I’m_ going to have to _kill_ _you_.” Sypha grunted, taking a step forward.

_“Belmont! No!”_ She argued. “He’s the one we’ve been waiting for.” Trevor moved back a bit, (Y/N) doing the same.

“No, he’s not. He’s a _vampire_. And he’s not been waiting here for hundreds of years, have _you_?” The man’s eyes narrowed into slits as he warned,

_“I don’t like your tone, Belmont.”_

“This place _is_ old, but it’s not been _abandoned_. It’s _alive_ and _working_. So, go on, _vampire_ , tell her _exactly_ how long you’ve been _waiting_ down here.” The man’s attention turned to the Speaker.

“What is the year of your Lord?” Her voice was clear as she responded,

“1476.” He turned back to Trevor.

“Perhaps a year, then.” Trevor nodded.

“There. And on top of that, what kind of messiah creates mechanical death traps to buy himself an uninterrupted nap in a stone coffin?”

“My defenses we not for you.” Trevor huffed.

“You could’ve told your defenses that.”

_“They are machines, nothing more. They were not intended to protect me from you.”_ The vampire’s tone was clipped, and (Y/N) quickly concluded,

“Defenses of that power would give even the best hunters trouble.” She regarded him with a look of suspicion. _“You’re protecting yourself from something far more dangerous than simple monster hunters.”_ He nodded at her, turning to look back at her brother.

“I asked you a question. _Do you care?_ ” Trevor leaned forward and announced,

_“I care about doing my family’s work. I care about saving lives.”_ He turned his body. _“Am I going to have to kill you?”_ At this, the man’s tone colored with anger and he sneered,

_“Do you think you can? If you’re really a Belmont and not some runt running around with a family crest, you might be able to.”_ He flicked a finger, and (Y/N) heard a clinking sound before a silver sword spun through the air. He caught it and slung it back, the air cutting before it with a sharp slice. _“Let’s find out.”_ Sypha leaned forward.

_“Belmont you can’t do this!”_ She turned to (Y/N). _“(Y/N)! Stop him, please!”_ Trevor cut her off before she could speak.

“Tell it to your floating vampire Jesus here.” The man’s face pinched and he countered,

“You’ve got nothing but insults, have you? A tired little-” The whip cracked the lower end of his torso, sending him flying. He skidded across the ground, and looked up, a hiss passing his lips, and (Y/N) warned,

_“Trevor.”_ He didn’t look at her.

“Stay there (Y/N). I’m fine.” The two began to fight, and (Y/N) moved back near Sypha, knowing she couldn’t help her brother.

_“(Y/N), please! Stop them!”_ She glanced at the woman and grunted with laughter as she watched Trevor knee the man in the groin. Her laughter quickly faded into shock as she watched her brother’s short sword snap, then get punched to the ground. The vampire dropped his sword, moving to Trevor, one hand gripping the hair at the crown of his head, the other shoving his shoulder down.

“Do you have a god to put a last prayer to, Belmont?” A grin played at Trevor’s lips and he quipped,

“Yeah. Dear God, please don’t let the vampire’s guts ruin my good tunic.” The man’s bled with confusion as he asked,

_“What?”_ He let out a pained grunt as the dagger entered his chest. He leaned forward, hissing, _“I can still rip your throat out.”_

_“You can, but it won’t stop me staking you.”_

_“But you will still die.”_

_“But I don’t care. Killing you was the point. Living through it was just a luxury.”_ The vampire let out a chuckle, but stopped as a hand tightened in his hair, pulling him back, and an edge of a blade rested against his throat. He made no movement as he felt breath next to his ear.

_“I might be the only Belmont willing to talk my way out of fights, but make no mistake, I will cut your head off if you kill my brother, vampire.”_ A bright light appeared in the vampire’s gaze and he looked forward at Sypha, who stood in front of him.

_“And I will incinerate you before your fangs touch that man’s throat.”_

“I thought I was your _legendary savior_.” Sypha’s head lowered.

“So did I. But _he_ saved _my_ life.”

“You’re a Speaker-Magician.” She nodded.

_“Yes, and his goal is mine…”_ Her eyes shone bright as she added, _“To stand up for the people.”_ The vampire regarded her for a moment before looking down and muttering,

_“Good. Very good. Two vampire hunters and a magician.”_ The cut began to heal on his torso, and he leaned up off Trevor’s dagger. _“You’ll do.”_ He let go of Trevor’s hair, but made no more movement when (Y/N)’s blade didn’t move.

“You won’t kill us?” She queried. He nodded, as best he could and added,

_“On my honor.”_ With his confirmation, she drew back her blade, and released her grip, smoothing the hair down from where she had it gripped. He stood up and turned to them. “I am Adrian Tepes. Known to the Wallachians as Alucard… _son of Vlad Dracula Tepes_.” Before he could continue, (Y/N) leaned around his body, pointing at Trevor.

_“Fuckin’ told you dumbass.”_ Trevor’s blue eyes filled with annoyance and he gave her a sarcastic clap.

_“Congratulations sister, shall I give you a pat on the back for your excellent deduces?”_ She glared at him.

_“How ‘bout you bend over and let me plant my foot up your ass.”_

_“Children, please!”_ The two went silent at Sypha’s exasperated call, and Adrian continued.

“I’ve been asleep here in my private keep under Gresit for a year,” He placed a hand over his chest, and (Y/N) caught sight of the angry red scar across his pale skin. “to heal the wounds dealt by my father when I attempted to stop him unleashing his demon armies.” Sypha’s hand lowered and she marveled,

“You _are_ the sleeping soldier.” Adrian turned to her.

“I’m aware of the stories. I’m also aware that the Speakers consider the story to be information from the future. Do you know the whole story?” A dust of crimson touched the tips of Sypha’s cheeks, and she ignored (Y/N)’s snicker as she nodded.

“Yes.”

“The sleeping soldier will be met by a hunter and a scholar.” Trevor’s neck disappeared into his shoulders as he muttered,

_“No one told me that.”_ (Y/N) waved him off and questioned,

“The _hell_ am _I_ then? _Chopped liver_?”

_“You smell like it.”_ She flipped her middle finger at Trevor who snorted, and Adrian turned to her, golden eyes zeroing in on the onyx raven crest at her chest.

_“A huntress from the Order of Shadows…I never expected to see one in person.”_ (Y/N) blinked in stunned silence. When she found her senses, she asked,

_“You know the Order?”_ Adrian nodded.

_“Only by the outstanding reputation for being protectors of the innocent and oppressed.”_ He eyed to silver sword in her hand. _“And for being deadly in combat.”_ He looked back at Trevor. _“I think I might’ve lost if she’d engaged me instead of you.”_ Trevor rolled his eyes, ignoring the barb, and Sypha took it as a chance to speak.

“Why do you think my grandfather tried everything to make you stay?” Trevor picked himself off the ground, groaning,

_“I hate Speakers.”_ The three waited for Adrian to dress, then Sypha inquired,

_“So, what happens now?”_ Adrian shoved the scabbard into his belt.

“I need two hunters and a scholar. I need help to save Wallachia…” The sword lifted from the ground, sheathing itself. “Perhaps the world and defeat my father.” Trevor glanced at him, suspicion coloring his tone.

_“Why?”_ Adrian’s feet stopped and he murmured,

_“Because it is what my mother would have wanted…and we are all, in the end…slaves to our families wishes.”_ The words made (Y/N)’s heart heavy, but she ignored it, tightening the armor at her wrist.

“You’ll help us kill Dracula and save Wallachia?” The four met at the doorway, and Adrian nodded.

“My father _has_ to die.” He glanced at them, eyes stopping to rest on (Y/N). _“We four…we can destroy him.”_ For a moment, no one spoke, then (Y/N) pointed to the doorway, deadpanning,

_“Not to break the dramatic silence here, but numbnuts broke the gears and shit coming down, so how the fuck do we get out of here?”_ Adrian passed her by, his eyes so focused on her, it almost made her sweat.

_“Follow me.”_ The vampire walked ahead, Sypha following him, but the two siblings stood solemn. The two didn’t speak at first, then she whispered,

_“Are you sure about this Trevor?”_ She looked aver at him, watching as he glared daggers into Adrian’s back.

_“No…no I’m not.”_ (Y/N) took in a breath, then let it out.

_“Well…nothing we can do about it now.”_ Trevor nodded, following her as she jogged to catch up with the other two. _“So, Goldenrod…do you prefer Alucard or Adrian?”_


	2. The Start Of The Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m trusting you two Belmont’s. Don’t make me regret it.” Trevor scoffed, but kept silent, and (Y/N) announced,  
> “A horrible decision really. You’re stuck with the two most annoying people in the world.” She caught sight of the smirk that played Adrian’s lips, and reminded, “It won’t take Sypha long to get the horses and wagon, and since it’s still midafternoon, we should probably wait for sundown to leave.” Her brother studied and asked, "Why?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really love this show. Like it's so good! I'll try to update as fast as I can! Thank you for reading, and you can find this on my Tumblr, "RagingBookDragon'! Enjoy! -Thorne

She squinted as she stared into the clear sky. Most of the damage around the Speaker house had already been cleaned out, but the scent of the dead still remained, hanging in the air. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, careful to not move too much from her position. Trevor hadn’t been overly fond of leaving her alone with the vampire, and she had to admit, that on some level, standing with her back to him didn’t exactly bring fondness to her either. However, he was a warrior, and his swear to not kill them counted enough for her to trust it. The two hadn’t spoken since they’d left the crypt, but when he finally started to speak, it wasn’t to her. His voice was so quiet that she had to strain to hear him, and she held her breath, determined not to make a sound. “Alucard, they called me. The opposite of _you_.” He shifted, and the sound of scratching reached her ears. “Mother never liked that. Did you know that? She _hated_ to idea that I might define myself by you…even in _opposition_ to you. She loved us both. Enough that she wanted us to be our own people. Living our own lives. Making our own choices.” She drew her gaze from the sky to the ground, her own memories clouding her mind.

_“Mistress (Y/N), are you paying attention?” Her eyes darted from the window to the older man standing in front of her._

_“Not if I can help it Alders.” He frowned and placed the parchment down on her desk._

_“Then help it. You need to learn how to distinguish this monster from-” (Y/N) frowned, voice nonchalant as she cut him off._

_“Striga’s are distinguishable by their agility, strength, and the way they move as well as they look. All fours and gray skin. They sleep in crypts during the day, hunt at night, are resistant to steel but susceptible to silver.” She leaned forward, glaring at the scholar. “Have I missed anything?” He raised a white eyebrow and asked,_

_“How do you kill one?” (Y/N) looked down at the parchment and murmured,_

_“If you can keep the Striga from returning to her crypt by the third crowing of the rooster, she will turn to a human again.” The old man sighed, dragging a hand down his face._

_“Mistress (Y/N), you are apart of the Belmont family. It is your duty to kill monsters, not cure them. How would something like that be capable of functioning after a life of being a monstrosity?” She glanced out the window, watching her brother fence with his trainer and whispered,_

_“Probably the same way we’ve survived being murderers.”_

A sharp stab brought her back to reality, and she tipped her head to the side, listening to Adrian murmur, “And so here I am. Choosing to honor my mother by killing my father. No longer Adrian Tepes. Choosing to be Alucard of Wallachia, the name of my mother’s people. I’m sorry mother.” (Y/N) frowned at how heartbroken he sounded but wiped the look from her face as she saw Sypha and Trevor approaching. She nodded at them, flashing Sypha a sad smile. “And so, we begin again.” The two entered the house, and Sypha stepped forward asking,

“So, how do we proceed?” Adrian glanced back at them.

“Have the Speakers left?” Trevor nodded.

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry,” He offered the Magician. “In success, you will see them again soon, in far happier circumstances.” At that, Sypha glared at Trevor, gesturing to the vampire.

“See? _He_ knows how to be nice.” She paused a moment. “Is it true, then? The castle can travel somehow? We know the stories, but sometimes it’s hard to separate myth from truth.” (Y/N) watched her brother bend over and open a box, beginning to rummage through it.

“Tell her about Dracula’s castle, Alucard. Her day can’t get any more ruined.” Adrian looked passed them for a moment.

“Dracula’s castle moves. How to describe it? It travels without moving. It appears at locations as if…well, as if my magic.” (Y/N) almost let out a laugh as Trevor picked up a broken bottle, but kept quiet as Sypha said,

“There has to be some way to trap it. How do we start?” Trevor frowned and muttered,

_“I want to go home.”_

“Have you been drinking again?” Trevor glanced over his shoulder.

“Some chance. But _no_. I _want_ to go _home_. The old Belmont estate.” This caught (Y/N)’s attention and she stared at him as Adrian countered,

“I was under the impression it was destroyed. Villagers, pitchforks, and torches, that sort of thing.” Both (Y/N) and Trevor’s faces drew dark.

“ _It was_. But the value of the old house wasn’t the house itself. It was-” (Y/N) cut him off.

_“The Belmont Hold.”_ Trevor glanced at her and nodded.

“The family library and trove.” Adrian blinked, but then nodded.

“The collected knowledge and material of generations of Belmont’s who fought the creatures of the night.” His golden eyes narrowed, and his tone took on a hint of intrigue. “That sounds _interesting_. _If_ it survives…” Her brother raised his hands.

“If there are solutions to the problems of _finding_ and _killing_ Dracula, they are in the Hold.” The vampire crossed his arms, turning his gaze to Trevor.

“You’re guessing, though.” (Y/N) turned around, looking at the three.

“He _is_ guessing. Trevor can’t read or understand magic, but our family stored everything they found, books of magic, potions, weapons, and whatever other weird shit they came across.” Trevor nodded and she added, “He can’t do anything with it. But we three _can_.” For a moment, no one said anything, then Adrian quipped,

“Fortunate indeed, then, that I choose not to kill and eat you two Belmont’s.” (Y/N) snorted unwilling to take the bait, but Trevor couldn’t resist it as he glowered at the vampire.

“And that I decided against gutting you, flaying you, and,” Trevor bent over, motioning to his foot, “turning you into shoes, Alucard.” Sypha sighed, turning to leave.

“Such a _merry_ band we are. _I_ will find us a covered wagon and horses, if you two can manage not to kill each other while I’m gone.” Adrian scoffed.

_“Oh please. We’re not children.”_ Sypha glanced at them over her shoulder with a look of doubt before turning to (Y/N).

“Please keep them from killing each other.” She walked off as (Y/N) raised her arms in the air.

“Wait! I am _not_ playing mediator for these morons!” The Speaker simply waved a hand back at her and she sighed, propping up against the wall as Trevor muttered,

_“Eat shit and die.”_

_“Yes, fuck you.”_ The two began chuckling as (Y/N) groaned, and after a moment of silence, Adrian questioned,

“Do you two really believe we could find the tools to kill my father at your old home?” Neither sibling said a word until Trevor responded,

“I’ll be honest with you…I don’t have a better idea. I just know that right here, right now, we are under-equipped for the job.”

“And you, (Y/N)?” She looked at Adrian, her shadow obscuring his face; she shrugged and stated,

“Trev’s right. None of us are equipped to fight Dracula and whatever horde he’s got in his castle. The hold has armors and weapons we can use, and knowledge we can learn.” She met his eyes. “We need into that hold if we want to win this.” Adrian went quiet for a moment, then nodded, looking between them.

“I’m trusting you two Belmont’s. Don’t make me regret it.” Trevor scoffed, but kept silent, and (Y/N) announced,

_“A horrible decision really. You’re stuck with the two most annoying people in the world.”_ She caught sight of the smirk that played Adrian’s lips, and reminded, “It won’t take Sypha long to get the horses and wagon, and since it’s still midafternoon, we should probably wait for sundown to leave.” Her brother studied and asked,

_“Why?”_ Her eyes narrowed into a glare and she deadpanned,

_“Hmm, I don’t know Trevor. Maybe it’s because we’re traveling with a child of the night? Who can burst into flames if he steps into the sun? You know, what happens during the day? The sun is up. It would be counterproductive to kill the only one who could actually kill Dracula.”_ Her brother’s face pinched and he muttered,

_“I could kill Dracula.”_ Adrian and (Y/N) both glared at Trevor and retorted,

_“No, you couldn’t.”_ The two looked back at one another and laughed, then Adrian asked,

“Is _that_ why you’ve been standing there the entire time? To shield me from the sun?” (Y/N) nodded, but went still as he stood, walking over to her. He stopped and gazed at her as she stared in shock.

“You can… _you can walk in the sunlight_?” He nodded and thanked,

“Despite the fact that you didn’t need to, I appreciate you thinking of my safety.” When she didn’t respond, Trevor leaned over to look at her and barked a laugh.

_“Good job vampire. You’ve pissed her off.”_ Adrian barely had time to mutter, _‘what?’_ before (Y/N) set into him, an annoyed look on her face.

_“You mean to tell me that I woke up at the ass crack of dawn, got into a position where I could block the sun from hitting you, only to find out like nine hours later that you can be in the sun?”_ She leaned forward. _“It didn’t occur to you to mention that earlier?”_ Adrian blinked at her before shrugging.

_“You didn’t say what you were doing.”_ (Y/N) could feel her eye twitch as she took a step closer.

_“You didn’t think to ask me? Do I look like the type of person who stands around looking like a jackass?”_ Adrian opened his mouth, but she pointed her finger in his face and threatened, _“That was rhetorical, and I swear to god if you answer that I will shove your head up his ass.”_ She ended the threat by pointing at Trevor who raised his hands defensively.

_“Oi, don’t drag me into this. I didn’t do anything wrong.”_ She ignored him, turning away from the two, and griped,

_“I can’t believe I skipped out on valuable sleep to shield a vampire that can walk during the day.”_ (Y/N) crossed her arms over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently when a hand rested on her shoulder; she looked over to see Adrian smiling at her.

“Thank you (Y/N). Your concern is greatly appreciated. _Truly_.” (Y/N) swallowed thickly before clearing her throat, waving him off.

_“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”_ She pointed towards the way Sypha went off. “I’m going to check on Sypha and see if she needs help. _Don’t kill one another while I’m gone._ ” The two men nodded as she left, then a moment later, Trevor warned,

_“Don’t touch my sister Alucard.”_ He turned around and scowled at him.

_“What are you her father?”_

_“I will kick your ass.”_

_“As if you could.”_

** Some Time Later: **

The fire snapped and popped as (Y/N) dropped another log into it before moving back to her spot between Adrian and Trevor. “I’m still not completely clear on why you don’t catch fire in the daylight.” Sypha’s words drew their attention to Adrian.

“I am half-human.” He looked away from them as if remembering something important. “My mother’s name was Lisa, and she was _mortal_.” The speaker let out a laugh.

“I would very much like to hear the story of how _that_ happened.” Adrian chuckled softly and explained,

“She actually showed up at his front door. She found the castle and banged the door with the pommel of her knife.” Sypha smiled.

“She sounds interesting!” The vampire nodded, smiling faintly.

“Oh, she was remarkable. She beat on the door until my father let her in, and then demanded he teach her how to be a doctor.” With the revelation, Trevor sat up and wondered,

 _“Wait, Dracula taught a human woman how to be a doctor?”_ He scoffed. _“What was first? Blood-letting?”_ Her brother broke into laughter, and (Y/N) reached over, socking him in the arm.

 _“Would it kill you to not be a shithead for once?”_ Trevor stuck his tongue out at her, but she rolled her eyes, gesturing for Adrian to continue.

“My father-” He was cut off as Trevor included, _‘Dracula’_ , but kept going. “is a man of science, a philosopher, a scholar, and knows things our society have forgotten three times over. Do you still not understand the enormity of what we’re doing?” Adrian turned his gaze to the fire. “He’s gone mad. And from that, there is no recovering him.” Trevor rolled his eyes and muttered,

_“Shame.”_ (Y/N) reached over socking him again, and he pulled away from her rubbing his arm, but Adrian nodded.

“It’s a tragedy. He’s a repository of centuries of learning. He could’ve changed the world. I think he might have, if mother hadn’t died. She’d sent him out into the world. And that’s why he wasn’t there when the bishops took her.” (Y/N)’s lips pulled down and she whispered,

 _“Oh god…they burned her at the stake…”_ Adrian didn’t respond, but she knew the silence was her answer.

“She sent him away?” Adrian glanced over at Sypha and nodded.

“She sent him to…travel. To learn the true state of the world, the true nature of humans and how they live.”

“She was turning him.”

“Imagine if he could have aimed all that knowledge at improving lives. If the religious inquisition hadn’t proved true all of his worst instincts about humans.” Trevor, who’d been silent up until that point, interjected.

_“And now he’s going to use her death as an excuse to destroy the world.”_ The vampire huffed, gazing away.

“Oh, the world will still be here, Belmont. Trees will still grow, birds will still sing, animals will still hump away in the undergrowth. But you won’t be here Belmont.” He glanced at Sypha. “You won’t be here.” Finally, he turned his gaze to (Y/N). “And neither will you.” He paused. “The sun will still set, but you will not see it rise. There will only be Dracula, and his war council, and the hordes of the night. He writes in great books, you know. He hews the covers himself from oak, and wraps them in the preserved skin of the people who he hated most. And he writes plans. I’ve seen them. Ideas for darkening clouds and making them as permanent in the air as the frost of the north. Create strange flying machines that pull shrouds across the sky to block out the sun. _Imagine it._ A world _without_ humans, under _endless_ invented night. And Dracula in his castle, his revenge so horribly complete that there is nothing left to do but look out over a world without art or memory or laughter and know that he did his work well. That he did it all for _love_.” The silence was heavy and the atmosphere so awkward around them, that no one seemed to be able to break it until Trevor said,

_“He needs a hobby.”_ (Y/N) nodded, not even upset at his disregard. They fell silent once more, then a moment later, low growling sounded from a distance followed by rustling branches. Trevor looked at (Y/N). _“Did you hear that?”_ She nodded, but Adrian simply waved a hand.

“Animals humping in the undergrowth.” The growling seemed to spread, and (Y/N) reached beside her, pulling the silver sword from its sheath, and rose.

_“It’s not animals. I sense darkness.”_ She looked down at them. _“Get up. Get up now and get ready.”_ Her brother kicked the fire out and looked at them.

“Which is the nearest town? Is it still Gresit?” Sypha shook her head.

“Arges is closer to us.” The snarling became louder, and (Y/N) turned, staring into the distance.

_“I can’t see them, but I can hear their steps. There’s at least twelve out there.”_ She looked at Trevor. _“Go high, Adrian, you hit them head on, and Sypha…well, you do what you do best.”_ The three nodded, and (Y/N) turned, moving towards the trees.

“What is she doing?” Trevor waved off Sypha’s question as he moved to the tree.

_“Don’t worry about her.”_

Minutes later, the three stood amidst the destruction. Adrian peered at the damage. “(Y/N) said there was _twelve_. I count _eleven_.” A dark snarl echoed in their ears and they turned, seeing a bigger beast moving towards them, it’s teeth and claws sharp and glinting in the moonlight. Trevor pulled out his whip, beginning to twirl it as the beast hurdled towards them.

“ _There’s_ the twelfth one.” The three readied themselves when a silver chain shot out through the air, wrapping around the beast’s stomach. It recoiled, screeching as the chain burned into its skin. A figure appeared from the side and darted towards it, a longsword gleaming along with it. The figure wrapped their arm in the chain and pulled with such strength, that the creature slammed into the ground. Not wasting a second, the figure leaped to the creature’s backside, climbing up its shoulders. The beast raised its arms, but it was too late as the figure brought the longsword down in a large arc.

A moment later, the beast’s head dropped to the ground, and its body went limp. The figure jumped off and yanked the chain back, watching it recede into the handle before moving towards the trio. Trevor eyed the handle in their hands and quipped, “You know, I forgot that you had that, and I’m still jealous of it (Y/N).” She grinned at him, tucking the tool back into her belt.

“Then you can stay jealous, because it’s mine.” She looked at the other bodies around them. “Sorry I wasn’t here to help you fight these ones.” (Y/N) nodded at the one she’d killed. “I sensed that one lagging behind, so I went to get ready for it.” She glanced back at them. “Is anyone hurt?” They shook their heads, and she moved past them. _“Then we need to get moving. If he’s sending parties this far, chances are we’ll encounter more on the way, and we still have another day until we reach the estate.”_ Sypha followed after her, but Adrian nor Trevor moved.

_“You sister is powerful.”_ Trevor side eyed the vampire and nodded.

_“She is…she’s the most powerful person I’ve ever seen.”_ Adrian gazed at (Y/N)’s back and murmured,

_“She really would’ve cut my head off if I hadn’t stood down.”_

 _“Probably cut your cock off too.”_ The vampire turned to the brother who snorted at him. _“I’m joking…mostly.”_ He coiled the whip around his arm and began walking off, leaving Adrian alone. The vampire gazed at the beast before turning away, heading to the wagon.


	3. Return To The Childhood Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I can’t imagine what it was like to grow up in a single place.” The comment gave her brother a cause for concern, and he paused, then stated,  
>  “It…it was fine.” He drug his hand through the dirt. “It wasn’t the worst way to grow up.” Sypha looked at (Y/N).  
>  “How did you feel about it?” (Y/N) pursed her lips into a thin line, then replied,  
>  “It’s been said that familiarity breeds contempt, and after living here for as long as I had, I was extremely familiar with it.” Sypha nodded, but dropped her gaze awkwardly as Adrian asked,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad everyone is enjoying the story! I haven't written this much in a while! Just a reminder, you can find this on my Tumblr at "RagingBookDragon"! Enjoy! -Thorne

_Molasses._ She thought. _Molasses moves faster than this._ She heaved a sigh, rolling onto her back as she stuck her head against the edge of the wagon, eyes directed to the night sky above. She blinked lazily, watching a few bats fly across her vision, then she let out another sigh. “Trevor, how much longer are we going to be stuck in this stupid, fucking wagon?” She listened to her brother snort from the front.

“As long as it takes you to die from boredom, dear sister.” She groaned, laying her arms across her face.

“The way this is going, it’s not going to be very long because _I am so fucking bored_.”

“Hmm… _I spy with my little eye_ -”

“ _No_. I’m _not_ playing I spy.”

“You don’t want to play with me?”

“Play with yourself.”

“I do that already.” She reached over, grabbing an apple from her pack, and chucked it at his head.

_“You’re disgusting.”_ Trevor rubbed the back of his head as Sypha laughed beside him, then he glanced over his shoulder at her.

“Look, we’ll get there when we get there, so _shut up and stop complaining_ (Y/N).” Her eyes narrowed as she glared at his head but shut her mouth and laid back down. For a moment, she sat still, then she began to fidget, and rolled onto her stomach. She turned her head to the side, laying it on the bed and stared at the solemn vampire beside her. His chest rose with each deep breath he took, but he looked so peaceful, his expression not as guarded as he’d looked since they left Gresit. His eye lashes were long and dark, but delicate, and they framed his gold eyes perfectly. She drew her gaze to the golden tresses that flowed down his shoulders. (Y/N) had to resist the urge to run her fingers through it, because no matter how he moved or what he did, his long hair still looked so silky and soft.

“Is there something on my face (Y/N)?” At first, she didn’t even hear him clearly, but then he looked down at her.

_“What?”_ Gilded eyes narrowed with amusement and he reiterated,

“You’ve been _staring_ at me for almost ten minutes. _Is there something on my face_?” (Y/N) shook her head, propping her palm under her chin.

_“Nah…just enviously admiring how pretty you are.”_ Evidently, he hadn’t been expecting that answer because a faint dust of pink colored his cheeks and he smiled awkwardly. A grin set onto her lips and she reached up, twirling one of his locks between her fingers. _“Seriously, what do you use in your hair? It looks like spun golden thread.”_ Adrian glanced at her.

“Soap and water, along with oils and such.” (Y/N) let out a ‘hmpf’, pulling her hand away.

“I assumed it was your _vampiric genes_ that gave you such good features.”

_“Oh, they do.”_ She jerked her head up and stared at him, before letting out a laugh.

“Good to know that no matter how hygienic I get, I’ll _never_ look half as pretty as you do.” Adrian chuckled and propped his legs up on the back of the wagon, looking over at her.

_“I think you look beautiful…especially when you’re fighting.”_ (Y/N) felt her cheeks warm, but she countered with,

“Adrian Tepes, are you _flirting_ with me?” He leaned over, voice lowering as he murmured,

“Do you find it offensive?” She smiled, shaking her head, and opened her mouth to respond when a voice interjected,

_“If you flirt with my sister again, I will cut your cock off and shove it down your throat, Alucard.”_ The two shifted their eyes to the front of the wagon, where Trevor was glowering at them. (Y/N) scoffed at him, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Trevor, why don’t you _mind your own fucking business_?”

“Because you _are_ my business.” (Y/N) glared at her brother and mocked quietly,

_“Because you are my business.”_ She ended her quip by sticking her tongue out, and expected Trevor to make a retort, but was surprised to watch him sit up and stare off into the distance, murmuring,

“There.” He pointed out, continuing, “That’s our tree.” (Y/N) could hear the grin in his voice as he reminisced. “(Y/N) and I used to play in that tree…we’re nearly at the house.” As they passed it, (Y/N) looked over at it, remembering a far easier time.

_“Come on sister! Climb higher!” (Y/N) stared up at Trevor from the branch she stood on, a frown on her lips._

_“But I might ruin my dress! Mother said not to get it dirty!” Her brother laughed, holding out his hand._

_“If anything happens, I’ll take the blame for it.” He stuck his hand out farther to her, and she reached up, letting him pull her to the higher branches. They stood atop the tree, gazes drawn to the family castle in the distance._

_“Trevor?” He looked over at her._

_“Yes sister?” (Y/N) met his eyes and whispered,_

_“Do you think Mother and Father are keeping secrets from us?” At that, her brother went silent, no doubt pondering for the proper answer. It wasn’t a surprise that she would ask that. Too many church officials had been to the castle in the last few months-it was only natural that she was curious. He reached over, taking her hand in his._

_“Whatever secrets they might be hiding, they’re hiding for a good reason.” The frown grew on her face, but he squeezed her hand and reassured, “But no matter what happens, I will protect you, dear sister.”_

(Y/N) let out a quiet sigh, drawing her gaze from the old tree, listening to Sypha wonder, “It’s hard to imagine you two playing.” Trevor huffed.

“Yeah…I suppose so. But it was _everything_ , that tree. It was our house, and our boat, and our fort. Anything we wanted it to be.” He let out a sigh and murmured, _“Goodnight, tree.”_

Sometime later, they finally arrived, and as Adrian helped (Y/N) down, she couldn’t help but grimace at the ruins. “Are you alright?” She looked at the vampire and nodded.

“Yeah…just…” She turned her eyes to the tallest tower and muttered, _“This place isn’t exactly full of great memories for us.”_ (Y/N) shook her head and pulled on her coat. _“Then again, I can’t imagine a place that’s been razed to the ground is.”_ The four began to head into the grounds, and Sypha asked,

“This was your home?” Trevor nodded.

“Yeah.”

“You grew up here.”

“…Yeah…” Sypha shook her head, running a hand along the staircase railing.

“I can’t imagine what it was like to grow up in a single place.” The comment gave her brother a cause for concern, and he paused, then stated,

“It…it was fine.” He drug his hand through the dirt. “It wasn’t the worst way to grow up.” Sypha looked at (Y/N).

“How did you feel about it?” (Y/N) pursed her lips into a thin line, then replied,

_“It’s been said that familiarity breeds contempt, and after living here for as long as I had, I was extremely familiar with it.”_ Sypha nodded, but dropped her gaze awkwardly as Adrian asked,

“How old were you both when your family home was taken?” Trevor let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair.

“(Y/N) was eleven? I was, thirteen? Maybe fourteen? Something like that.”

“You’ve…you’ve been on your own since you were that young?” He shrugged at Sypha’s question.

“Maybe twelve.” (Y/N) knocked her hand against one of the bricks and added,

“I was _ten_ when the castle was taken. Trevor was _twelve_.” She looked at her brother, meeting his saddened gaze. _“I didn’t even know the Belmont’s had been excommunicated until I was eighteen.”_ Sypha and Adrian’s eyes widened, and they stared at her in shock.

“What? Why not?” (Y/N) flicked the crest on her chest.

_“I was at the Ravensguard fortress in the north, training to be a huntress. Since it’s not tied to the outer world or the church, we didn’t get any news pertaining to the circulating events. The scholars and trainers are finicky about what comes in and out of the fortress.”_ She grimaced but plastered a smile on her face and waved her hand. _“But who remembers that sort of thing anyways.”_ Adrian turned away from them, gazing at the broken-down walls.

_“Ten and twelve.”_ (Y/N) watched her brother dust off his pants, looking over his shoulder at them.

“Is there a point to these questions?” Adrian dropped his eyes to the ground and hummed,

“I’m disturbed to find that I had more of a childhood than you two did.” Trevor scoffed, standing up.

_“And your dad’s fucking Dracula.”_ For a moment, no one spoke, then the four started laughing as they moved deeper into the ruined home. Trevor shifted a few broken pieces around and nodded. “I think this is it.” He bent over, grunting as he tried to lift a chunk of rock; Adrian looked down and observed,

“Your hidden entrance looks like a hearthstone.” Her brother grunted again.

“Just. Help me clear it.” Trevor bent over as he dropped the stone but turned back around when he heard chunks flying. (Y/N) stared in amazement as Adrian continued to move more, and she elbowed her brother in the side.

_“He’s stronger than you’ll ever hope to be.”_ He said nothing, simply taking the torch back from Sypha.

_“Congratulations,”_ Adrian remarked. _“You’ve just discovered a big piece of stone.”_ Trevor glared at the vampire and assured,

_“It’s the door.”_ The Speaker eyed him and questioned,

“Do we lift it, or…?” Adrian moved his hands to the corner, grunting as he pulled, then he stopped.

“That’s odd. I don’t seem to be able to get any purchase on it.” The four bent over, watching Sypha run her fingers along the indentions.

“Hmm…ah, I see now. You won’t be able to lift it.” Trevor scratched the back of his neck and gestured to the stone.

“Well, my family got it up somehow.” He ignored (Y/N)’s quip of _‘that’s what she said’_ , save for a grin, and continued with, “I was taken down there as a child.”

“Did you see them lift it?” Sypha asked.

“No. They brought me through it once it was open. They told me they’d teach me how to do it one day. I suppose there as a special trick.” He looked over at the three and Sypha questioned,

“Were your parents magicians?”

“Not as such. I mean, they knew a lot, but this door was put in by one of our ancestors.”

“Well, I guess the special trick was passed down the generations. The way we Speakers transmit knowledge. Your parents knew the trick, but didn’t know where it came from or what it really was.” Sypha stood and ordered, “Stand back.” The three moved behind, watching as her hands glowed a bright blue. _“Invocatio. Mahorela. Sor. Gru. Odo. Teloch.”_ A flash of light momentarily lit up the ruin, and she smiled, _“Open sesame.”_ (Y/N) peered around her at the open entrance.

_“What the shit?”_ Adrian passed Sypha back the torch.

“Was that an Enochian ward?” She smiled.

“Yes. I know that language.” The vampire huffed a laugh.

“Well, well. Naughty Belmonts hunting all the terrible things of the forest, but sitting on a magic door opened by occult language.” (Y/N) knew the jab was directed at Trevor because she watched his face set in annoyance.

“I didn’t know it was a fucking _magic_ door. Doesn’t make us black magicians.” He started into the entrance, listening to Adrian counter,

“But you know that the word, _‘Teloch’_ , means _‘of death’_ , right?”

_“Shut up.”_

_“It’s the magical door of death, Belmont.”_ (Y/N) snorted as her brother kept walking.

“Are you coming or what?” When they entered the Hold, (Y/N) stood beside him and whispered,

_“Does it still look the same?”_ She looked over at him and watched him nod.

_“It’s been a long time since I was here, but nothing seems to be out of place.”_ He glanced at her. _“You were never brought here, were you?”_ (Y/N) shook her head.

_“No…I was sent off before then.”_ The two fell silent, moving to the stairs.

“Belmont isn’t even a Wallachian name. That just dawned on me.” (Y/N) hummed, stepping in between Sypha and Adrian.

_“You know what just occurred to me? The fact that Alucard is Dracula pronounced backwards.”_ The comment made everyone stop and look at her; she waved her hand. “But that’s a conversation for another time when we aren’t preoccupied with this. Trevor, continue.”

“No,” Trevor said. “The family’s originally from the Kingdom of France. But we moved out of there a few hundred years ago.”

“Moved or chased?” Trevor tipped his head up haughtily at Adrian’s question.

_“Moved, thank you very much.”_

_“With people behind you waving pitchforks and torches?”_

“No. No, we’re professionals. We move where the work is.”

“What does that even mean?” Sypha asked him. Trevor walked over to the door.

“It means, all the dark things moved into the east. I think it was a Leon Belmont who entered the region first.” He pushed open the heavy armored door. “And he built this house, and dug the foundations for everything under it.” The torches only pushed light so far, and with a raise of her hands, Sypha lit the lamps all around the giant room. The lot stepped forwards and (Y/N) stared in amazement.

_“Holy mother of god…look at all this!”_ She and Sypha ran to the railings, staring down at all of it. As she was searching, something caught (Y/N)’s eye and she gasped, _“Oh my god I know that armor!”_ Sypha looked around.

_“Where! What armor!”_ (Y/N) pointed to an armor case in the far corner of the room holding a set of black leather armor with silver accents.

_“That armor right there was used by Anastasia Belmont! She was one of the first Belmonts to go into the Order of Shadows!”_ She started towards it, hopping down the stairs. _“I’ve dreamed of getting into that armor since I was a kid!”_ Sypha was quick behind her.

_“Is it organized? Is there a way to find things?”_

_“I imagine one sacrifices a chicken, and divines the location of the book you want from the intestines. Maybe, Belmont has a crystal ball in here you could ask.”_

_“Piss off Adrian!”_ She looked back at Sypha. _“The index down on the table there! It’s alphabetized!”_ The two seemed to become giddier and giddier as they descended the stairs.

“Your ancestors were apparently mentally ill hoarders. I fully expect to find family cats mummified under some of these shelves.” Adrian paused, chuckling a bit. “Unless your family preferred to eat them.” (Y/N) whacked the vampire in the arm.

_“Don’t be a dickhead, dickhead.”_ He narrowed his eyes into a glare, but was surprised when she met it head on.

“So, this really is a managed collection then.” Trevor nodded at Sypha’s words.

“It’s the work of generations. An archive of everything we’ve found and learned since the days of Leon Belmont.” The four split up, Trevor and Sypha walking in one direction, Adrian in another, all except (Y/N), who stood at the bottom of the stairs.

“What was your Leon Belmont doing in Wallachia?” Neither sibling responded to her question, simply looking to the rows of vampiric skulls that Adrian had stopped in front of.

_“Hunting Dracula.”_ The group spread farther as Sypha poured over the index.

“It’s all here. You’re right. This is quite amazing. Isn’t it? _It’s amazing_.” (Y/N) crept quietly behind the vampire, listening to him mock,

_“Charming.”_

“You’re not even a _little bit_ impressed?”

_“It’s like a museum dedicated to the extermination of my people, so no. Not thrilled.”_ (Y/N) stepped beside the vampire, silently peering at the hundreds of skulls in the cases. For a moment, neither said a word, then she murmured,

_“It makes you wonder how many of them **were guilty** of heinous crimes, and how many **were innocents**.”_ She could feel his eyes on her, but she refused to look at him. _“They called us **heroes** and **saviors** , but I say we’re a family of **murderers** and **slaughterers**. Hunting the supernatural to levels of extinction…it’s **cruel** …and it’s **wrong**.”_ (Y/N) clenched her jaw to stave the anger away, listening as Adrian observed,

_“I’ve noticed something about you in the past few days we’ve known each other.”_ She eyed him.

_“And that is?”_ He turned to her, his expression soft.

_“You don’t hate creatures of the night like everyone else does. And anytime someone says, ‘monster hunter’, you’re quick to say, ‘hunters of the supernatural’.”_ (Y/N) faced him, crossing her arms over her chest.

_“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but in the wise words of my brother, say what you mean Adrian.”_ He huffed a laugh then went silent and inquired,

_“Why don’t you call them monsters like the rest?”_ (Y/N) shook her head, glancing back at the case.

_“Because I **refuse** to believe that **everything** is inherently **evil** , and that all supernatural life are **monsters**.”_

_“Hasn’t Dracula proved that all vampires are evil monsters?”_ She went silent for a minute, then turned back to him and placed a hand across his heart; she offered him a kind look and whispered,

**_“I’ve known you for three days, but I can tell you right here and right now that you are not a monster Adrian.”_** His jaw went slack, and she offered him a heart-filled smile, removing her hand. _“Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a set of black leather armor calling my name.”_ He watched her walk down another row, then reached up, touching the spot where her hand had rested just moments before. If felt like his skin was on fire, and before he could stop it, a warm smile crossed his lips.


	4. Enter The Belmont Hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Do you know what this is?” (Y/N) momentarily glanced at it before looking back at him and nonchalantly replied,  
> “Seven years back luck?” He huffed a laugh.  
> “Probably…but what the hell is it?” Sypha looked up from a book she was reading.  
> “You two don’t know?” The siblings shrugged and shook their heads. “This is your house.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes.  
> “Yeah, that neither of us have been in for almost a decade and a half.” Trevor smirked as he wiped a hand across it, looking over his shoulder at the Speaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading, and I am so glad you're enjoying the story! As usual, you can find this on my Tumblr, 'RagingBookDragon'! I hope you enjoy the new chapter! -Thorne

She had just fastened the last belt when his voice reached her. “(Y/N)! Get over here!” She stuck her head out from the side of the shelf and called out,

“Gimme a minute, I’m still getting dressed Trevor!”

“Are you _seriously_ taking the armor?” (Y/N) scoffed and attached the cape around her neck.

“Uh, _yes_? This armor is the greatest creation to ever be made.” She eyed the sword next to the armor stand before grabbing it and fastening it next to the other blade down her back. She walked over to where the others were, smiling at Adrian as he sat atop the bookshelves. Trevor glanced at her, examining the armor.

“It looks very… _ostentatious_.” (Y/N) narrowed her eyes before placing her hands on her hips.

“Trev, just say ‘showy’. _Your brain will explode if you think about words that big._ ” Her insult drew a chuckle from the vampire, but she continued with, “The armor itself is made from dragon scales, and the accents are pure silver.” She turned, showing the silver armor lining her arms. Trevor crossed his arms and asked,

“I thought dragons went extinct?” (Y/N) shook her head.

“Not necessarily. While it’s true that a great deal of them were slain and harvested, a great deal more went into hiding. They’re still out there, you just can’t find them as easily as you could centuries ago.” Impressed, he nodded before acknowledging the sword strapped to her back.

“And the second sword?” (Y/N) grinned, pulling it out and showing it to him.

“It’s called ‘Starfang’.” He took it, admiring the runes carved into the metal. “It was forged from ore that fell from the heavens.” Trevor blinked, running a hand up the flat side of the blade.

“It’s… _beautiful_.” Her grin grew and she added,

“It’s _deadly_ too.” She pointed to the runes. “The carvings are enchantments.” He handed the sword back, watching as she returned it to its scabbard. “What did you want me over here for?” He nodded at the shattered mirror.

“Do you know what this is?” (Y/N) momentarily glanced at it before looking back at him and nonchalantly replied,

_“Seven years back luck?”_ He huffed a laugh.

“ _Probably_ …but what the hell is it?” Sypha looked up from a book she was reading.

“You two don’t know?” The siblings shrugged and shook their heads. “This _is_ your house.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes.

_“Yeah, that neither of us have been in for almost a decade and a half.”_ Trevor smirked as he wiped a hand across it, looking over his shoulder at the Speaker.

“Do _you_ know everything in _your_ house?” Sypha moved closer to the mirror, turning to him with a sarcastic look.

“ _I_ don’t have a house.” A voice sounded from higher above them.

“She doesn’t have a house.” The three looked up and Adrian. “She’s a Speaker. She’s a nomad.” Trevor glared at the vampire as he hopped down from the bookshelves.

_“It was rhetorical.”_

“Rhetorical house that she doesn’t have.”

_“Just, tell me what it is.”_ Sypha glanced back at it.

“It was a magic mirror.” Adrian pointed at it.

“Also known as distance mirrors.” He ran his gloved hand down the side, feeling the runes. “Some of them even allow matter to pass through them, but…” He paused a moment. “No. No this is a simple remote viewing mirror. A little of the activating language is chipped.” He looked back at the trio. “A few of the runes need re-cutting but workable.” Adrian smirked at her brother. _“You have the most fascinating family junkyard, Belmont.”_ (Y/N) internally sighed as her brother got in the vampire’s face and fired back,

_“You’re a cock wart, Alucard.”_ Sypha pulled his hand down, tugging him away.

_“Stop it.”_ She pulled Trevor around the shelves. “You are an _adult_. You _do not_ have to rise to his every barb.” (Y/N) couldn’t see his expression, but she knew it was one of irritation.

“He’s pissing me off like it’s his job, Sypha.” Before the Speaker could get a word in, (Y/N) quipped,

 _“Oh no, someone else knocking my brother down a few pegs besides me. What ever shall we do?”_ The two ignored them, going off into their own conversation, leaving her next to Adrian. When laughter sounded from behind the shelves, she watched Adrian’s expression change, then he looked over his shoulder towards the noise; she gave him a sad smile. “You didn’t have many friends growing up, did you Adrian?” He turned his head back around, staring at her with careful eyes.

“What makes you say that?” (Y/N) hummed, running a finger down the mirror.

“Every time the two of them start laughing, you get this… _confused_ expression on your face, like you can’t understand what’s so funny.” He continued to watch her with his guarded look.

“Maybe I _don’t_ understand.” She huffed a laugh, turning to him.

“Oh, don’t even go there. You’re smarter than the lot of us, and you _definitely_ know when someone’s making a joke.” (Y/N) paused, thinking of her next sentence, then she murmured, “It’s because you’re too guarded.” Adrian raised an eyebrow.

_“Too guarded?”_ She nodded.

_“You’re too cautious. You won’t allow yourself to get close to us because you’re afraid of what might happen.”_ Evidently, he didn’t like the way the conversation was headed, because he narrowed his eyes into a glower.

_“And what am I afraid of happening?”_ (Y/N) gazed at him and challenged,

_“You’re afraid that if you let yourself get close to people, what happened to your mother and father will happen to you.”_ She watched Adrian’s expression morph from anger, to shock, to realization, and she placed her hand on his arm. _“You’re scared that something will take what you care about away, and you’ll be left alone.”_ He swallowed thickly and opened his mouth, but no words came out, and the sound of a tolling bell reached their ears. He looked up, listening to the chimes.

“What was that?” She moved her eyes to the ceiling.

“The tower clock. It strikes at twelve times at midnight.” (Y/N) looked back at him, leaning close to nudge him in the ribs. _“Adrian Tepes, I’ve officially known and been your friend for four days now.”_ He looked down at her, golden eyes boring into hers.

“And _that_ means?” She flashed him a smile, nudging him again.

_“Means that no matter where we are, or what roads we take in these lives, I will always be on your side.”_ He blinked in stunned silence, and she reached down, taking his hand in hers. “ _Now come on. There’s a whole bunch of weird shit in here that needs to be seen by the two of us.”_ Adrian complied, letting her tug him around.

“Why does it need to be seen by us? We’ve both agreed that we’re not overly fond of what your family does.” (Y/N) nodded as she dragged him to a shelf full of things she didn’t even know how to name.

_“Well yeah…but all the more reason for us to go see the weird shit my family hoarded and take the piss out of them. Like…that!”_ She paused, pointing to a plant that was lined with rows of sharp teeth. _“The fuck kind of mutated Venus Fly Trap is that?”_ She then pointed to a stone head sitting on another shelf. _“And that! Who the fuck keeps a stone head in a case? And over there!”_ (Y/N) turned to another shelf, starting to pull him along when he tugged her to a stop. She spun back around, looking at him with a questioning gaze. Adrian gave her a small smile and shifted their hands, lacing his fingers with hers. When she glanced down at their joined hands, then to back his face, she noticed a faint pink dusting his cheeks, as he murmured,

_“So I don’t lose you.”_ (Y/N) grinned and squeezed his hand, pulling him along.

** A Few Hours Later:  **

She rested her head along his arm, leaning her body against his as he flipped through the index. She had her own book in front of her, occasionally flipping through the pages, reading the various entries. “For a monster hunter that hates monster hunting, you sure do enjoy reading about them.” (Y/N) hummed, adjusting her head against his arm.

“It’s not that I _‘hate’_ hunting per se. There are some creatures that _cannot_ be dissuaded from evil or _cured_ of their circumstances. Those creatures are dangerous to innocent life. Regardless, I might dislike hunting them, but it can’t hurt to be knowledgeable about them.” She turned the page and nodded at it. “Take the ‘Revenant’ for example. It’s a term that’s been used interchangeably to describe vampires and ghosts, but most agree that it’s the basic term for the undead. There are various descriptions of them ranging from the Nordic countries to all of Europe.” Adrian paused, looking down at the book.

“How so?” She flipped through the pages.

“See here?” (Y/N) pointed to a page with a drawing. “That’s a Revenant, but in the Nordic countries, they call them _Draugrs_ or _Aptrgangrs_. It translates to _‘again-walker’_ , or _one who walks after death._ ” She flipped back to the original page. “The entries are even different. In Nordic indexes, the Draugrs are emaciated, with their skin stretched out over their skeletons. But they still retain their strength, and are extremely difficult to fight and destroy, as they’re impervious to many types of weapons. Here in Wallachia and the surrounding countries, indexes describe Revenants as the corpses of the dead that have been reanimated by powerful demons, capable of killing entire squads of even experienced warriors. They’re…” (Y/N) trailed off, shifting her head so she could see his face. He looked at her, waiting for her to finish, and she laughed nervously. _“Sorry…I talk a lot about stuff like this.”_ Adrian smiled, shaking his head.

“No, please continue. It’s interesting to learn the differences of the creatures of the night between countries.” (Y/N) nodded, moving her eyes back to the book.

“Okay, well…even vampires are considered different in other countries. They’re also mistaken for other creatures too. In Wallachia, the term ‘Strigoi’ was used until the term ‘vampire’ and ‘vampirism’ came into being. Others call vampires ‘Vrykolakas’ or ‘Pricolici’, but that’s incorrect. Vrykolakas, while sharing characteristics with vampires, engage more in cannibalism as they prefer to eat livers, and Pricolici are werewolf and vampire hybrids, living life as a werewolf, but once dead, returns as a vampire. Actually, that’s where the belief that vampires can turn into animals such as wolves, dogs, owls, and bats, came from. In other coun-” (Y/N) cut herself off as she raised a hand to her mouth, yawning. “Mmm, sorry. As I was saying-” This time, Adrian cut her off.

“How long has it been since you slept?” (Y/N) glanced up at him, shrugging her shoulders.

“Dunno. Yesterday morning, I think? A few hours before we left.” He frowned at her.

“You think? You didn’t sleep in the wagon?” She shook her head.

“I was trained to sleep only in places where there was no movement.” He arched an eyebrow and inquired,

“Why’s that?” (Y/N) pulled away, stretching her limbs.

“Sleeping on a surface that is immobile allows you to hear and detect things that are approaching you. I get on wagons and I become too alert to sleep.” He gestured to a bookshelf, and they sat down next to one another.

“When we fought the night creatures after we left Gresit, you said you could sense them. You could also hear their footsteps.” (Y/N) nodded, reclining against the shelf.

“At Ravensguard, hunters and huntresses undergo extensive training and experimentation to enhance their bodies. As a result, we achieve the ability to wield magic, our bodies are stronger, and our senses are enhanced greatly.” Adrian glanced down at her and wondered,

“The processes sound _dangerous_ …I can’t imagine that many survive.” With a grimace, (Y/N) nodded.

“Very few make it…even fewer are able to handle the stress it takes on the mind and body.” She paused then whispered, _“…I almost didn’t.”_ For a moment, he didn’t respond, then he leaned close, gently taking her hand.

“What made you fight to survive?” (Y/N) sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“ _My brother.”_ Adrian grunted, but she smiled and added, “My parents learned at an exceedingly early time that I wasn’t going to carry on the Belmont name like Trevor was. And while they loved me, they couldn’t take me continually refusing to adhere to it. Our family has always had a tie to the Order, so as soon as they could, they sent me to the fortress.” She went silent, then said, “I don’t think my parents knew that only a few people survived coming out of there alive, so I know they didn’t send me there hoping I died.” Adrian squeezed her hand and asked,

“How old were you when they sent you away?”

“I was _nine_. I trained until I was eighteen, and when I left and traveled back home, _I was met by a ruin_.” (Y/N) clenched her jaw, trying to suppress her hurt. “The only thing that kept me alive during my training was the thought of coming back home to see my brother, _the one person who respected that I didn’t want to be a supernatural hunter_ , _and I returned to a burned down home and no family in sight_. I travelled for a year and a half before I ran into him. And it was _pure luck_ that I did.”

“What happened?”

“Hunters and huntresses aren’t exactly _‘given jobs’_ , we simply protect and bring justice where it’s needed. In my search for Trevor, I’d heard of a town that was being plagued by supposed dead men walking. I travelled there to see if I could help, and I was run into by a drunkard who was stumbling out of the inn.” She gazed up at him, a grin on her face. _“Three guesses on who the drunkard was.”_ He chuckled, and she thought back to the moment she re-met her brother.

_The militia seemed happy to see another fighter amongst them, especially one who was trained. She walked down the street after leaving the mayor’s home, intent on finding the inn so she could get a meal before going to search for the origins of the undead that plagued the town. She paused, waving over a young boy who couldn’t have been older than ten. “You there, young man!” He walked over, looking at her as she waved a gold coin. “Got a coin here for you if you tell me where the inn is, and any other news you’ve heard.” The boy’s eyes grew as he stared at the coin in her hand, and he nodded excitedly._

_“Go to the end of the street and take a left, there’s the inn. I haven’t heard much, but I heard the militia saying that old man Thompson was the one making the dead come.” (Y/N) furrowed her brows._

_“Why’s that?” The boy shrugged._

_“I don’t know but Ma says he dabbles in the dark arts like the Belmonts did.” Her jaw clenched at the rumor, but she pushed it aside and asked,_

_“One more question and the coin is yours. Where’s old man Thompson live?” The boy pointed to a house far outside the town._

_“He lives in that house over there. He doesn’t come out much since his wife died a year ago.” (Y/N) glanced at it and frowned, then turned and tossed the coin to the boy before heading off towards the inn. She’d just reached the doors when they slammed open and a figure stumbled into her. She caught him, holding him up right._

_“Hey. You okay there?” The man nodded and rambled,_

_“Y-yeah…just had a few drinks.” (Y/N) tipped her head to the side as she stared into his face; the man frowned at her. “Somethin’ on my face?” Realization hit her and she whispered,_

_“Trevor?” His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at her, then his eyes went wide and he breathed,_

_“(Y/N)?” She smiled, laughing tearfully, and exclaimed,_

_“I can’t believe I’ve run into you! I’ve been looking for you!” A smile grew across his face and it held for a second, then he grimaced. She felt her heart sink as she asked, “Trevor? What’s wro-” Her words fell short as he bent over._

“And he threw up all over my feet, then went, _‘wow, I feel so much better now.’_ ” (Y/N) watched Adrian cover his mouth as he laughed. When he calmed, she laid her head back against his shoulder and mused, “We’ve been together ever since.”

“You two are _remarkably_ close for not exactly growing up together. And _extremely protective_ of one another.” She nodded.

_“We’re all the family we have…it’s our job to look out for each other.”_ (Y/N) grunted. _“Other times I want to push him off a cliff because he’s the biggest pain in my ass I’ve ever had.”_ Adrian snorted and she yawned again, struggling to keep her eyes open. _“Personally, I make it…my job…to…return the…favor…”_ Adrian felt her go slack against his side, and as he looked down at her, he realized just how exhausted she was. He smiled, gently placed his coat over her body, enjoying the way she snuggled closer, and closed his eyes too letting himself rest his head against hers.


	5. Pasts Revisited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Neither did you.” (Y/N) let a smile cross her lips and she shook her head.  
>  “No, you don’t get to turn this over on me right now Adrian Tepes.” His brows furrowed and she reached up, placing her hand atop his, curling her fingers into his palm. “Right now, it’s your time to be comforted, not comforting.” Adrian chuckled, pulling his hand away.  
>  “You are very good at making people open up about their pasts, (Y/N).” She shrugged, flashing him a cocky grin.  
>  “I’d even go as far to say that it’s one of my best perks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and I'm glad you're all liking the story! I will be 100% honest, I was inebriated for the first half of this part, so if there are mistakes, I'll fix 'em tm. Enjoy! -Thorne

Movement roused her from her slumber, and she shifted, wrapping her arm around whatever was moving. It stilled, and she groaned, burying her face deeper into the fabric against her. A low chuckle sounded in her ears, causing her fingers to twitch. “(Y/N), you’ve been asleep for almost nine hours. Don’t you think it’s time to get up?” She groaned again, burrowing her face closer to the warmth.

“Mmm…ten more minutes…” The owner of the voice chuckled again, gently caressing her cheek.

“You might need ten more minutes, but your annoyance of a brother has now threatened me _seven_ _times_ for being close to you.” (Y/N) huffed a laugh, cracking one open, shifting her gaze to the golden eyed vampire smiling at her.

“Are you sure I can’t lie here for a few more minutes?” Adrian huffed, shaking his head.

“While I don’t see a problem with it, I wouldn’t,” He raised his fingers making quotation marks and recounted, “want to be _‘stabbed up through my testicles to my heart._ ’” (Y/N) tipped her head back, cackling loudly; when she calmed, she pulled away, stretching her arms above her head.

“Yeah…that sounds like Trevor.” She glanced at Adrian and offered, “Sorry, he’s an overprotective jackass sometimes.” He shook his head and stood, offering his hand to her. (Y/N) took it, allowing him to pull her up. He tugged and she stumbled forward, landing against his chest. She placed a hand against his shoulder, pulling away quickly, a warmth rising to her cheeks. “Oh, uh, sorry about that.” Adrian shook his head, a warmth of his own climbing under his skin.

“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t mean to pull so hard.” (Y/N) shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it.” Thrusting his coat into his arms, she turned, pointing towards one of the rows. “I’m gonna go find Trevor.” She listened to his laughter sounding in her ears as the warmth spread across her face. An hour later, she stumbled across Trevor staring at a sword he’d found. (Y/N) plopped down next to him, leaning into his side. “Whatcha find over here?” He glanced up from the silver sword, then back to the blade.

“Sword.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes as she crossed her legs.

_“No shit smartass.”_ She rested her elbow on her knee, propping her chin on her hand. “Was that father’s sword?” He tipped his head side to side.

“I think it is. It’s been awhile since I saw it.” Trevor handed it to her, watching as she thrust it out in front of her, eyes focused straight down the blade.

“I’d’ve thought he’d taken it with him.” (Y/N) passed the sword back over and he returned it to its scabbard.

“Wouldn’t have done much good.” She looked away and he added, “He must’ve put it back in here because he knew we’d end up getting in here somehow.” (Y/N) nodded, resting back against the bookshelf. She observed him for a moment before muttering,

_“I know that face…you want to talk about our life choices.”_ Trevor didn’t look at her, but his grip tightened along the scabbard.

“We do need to talk (Y/N)…about _Alucard_.” (Y/N) placed her hand in his peripheral vision, her palm flat as if to say, _‘enough’_ , and firmly stated,

_“His name is Adrian, and if we’re going to talk about him, you’re going to use his name properly.”_ Her brother turned to her, and she met his eyes, staring at him. He didn’t say anything at first, but then he said,

“You need to be careful about how close you’re getting to _Adrian_.” She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

_“Why? Because he’s a vampire?”_ Trevor nodded.

_“That, and because he’s Dracula’s son.”_ (Y/N) looked over at him and scowled,

“Yeah, and his mother was a _human_. Mind you, he’s trying to _stop his father_ because _it’s what Lisa would’ve wanted_.” He opened his mouth, but she raised her pointer finger. _“Trevor, I get that you’re concerned, but if Adrian wanted to kill us, or at least harm us, he wouldn’t wait until we were in the middle of a fight with his father, he’d have done it between leaving the crypt and arriving here.”_ (Y/N) watched Trevor’s expression darken, and she rested her hand atop his. _“Look, I get that you’re concerned about me, and I thank you for that, but I’m more than capable of taking care of myself, and my love life.”_ Trevor looked away for a moment, then glanced back at her and whispered,

“Does it _have_ to be _him_?” (Y/N) snorted, resting her head on his shoulder.

“You say that like I’ve got a choice.” He grunted at her, crossing his arms across his chest.

“I mean, you _could_ choose someone else.” Trevor looked down at her. “A priest. You could choose a priest and I’d be okay with that.” (Y/N) laughed at his statement.

“Priests can’t get married Trevor.”

“They can _before_ they become priests.”

“But I thought you _hated_ priests?”

“ _I do_ … _but_ I hate them less than I hate that asshat.” She whacked his arm and corrected,

“Adrian’s _not_ an asshat Trev…he’s just… _lost_ …” A frown grew on her face and she whispered, _“He needs someone to stay beside him Trevor…he’s hurting inside.”_

“You don’t need to be nor are the one to save him.” (Y/N) nodded.

_“You’re right. I can’t save him.”_ She looked up, meeting his gaze. _“But I can help him.”_ She knew her words were resonating in him, and she squeezed his hand. _“Trevor, I know you wanna keep me safe and protect me, but I’ve seen just how bad this world can be…and so has Adrian…except he’s never had someone to stand beside him to help carry all his hurt with him.”_ (Y/N) turned her gaze to the upper levels of the Hold, catching Adrian and Sypha in her vision. _“My job is to help people…and I can help him. I certainly can’t fix all his hurt, but I can be there to listen and to help him weed his way through it.”_ She looked back at her brother. “You know I’m right Trevor.” A grimace appeared on his face, and he went quiet for a few moments, then he sighed heavily and nodded.

“…Yeah…I know you are.” He shook his head. “I still don’t like the idea of you getting close to him.” (Y/N) grinned, resting her head back on his shoulder.

“I know…but it could be someone worse Trevor.”

** A Few Hours Later: **

She ran her fingers up the column of a book, pulling it out to scan its contents. She leaned against the bookshelf, reading the pages when she felt a presence beside her. (Y/N) waited for him to speak. “Reading something interesting?” She nodded, showing him the book.

“Sir Gawain and The Green Knight.” She nodded towards a book on the shelf. “I think there’s a copy of Beowulf right there…I was going to read it once I was finished with this.” Adrian picked up the book, flipping through it.

“I haven’t read this in a while.” (Y/N) glanced up at him, watching his golden eyes scan the words.

“You’re well read, aren’t you Adrian.” He looked over at her and nodded.

“Well, my father was a polymath and my mother was a doctor, so much of my childhood literature was educational.”

_“Bummer then. Fictional works are fantastic.”_

“They’re _fantasy_.” (Y/N) closed the book with a snap, pulling the book from his grip to put it away.

_“Yeah, but that’s what makes them great.”_ He arched an eyebrow, following her around the bookshelf.

“How so?” She snorted, running her fingers along the spines as she walked down the aisle.

_“Haven’t you ever read a book and imagined yourself within the story? To be apart of the world within the literature?”_ He paused a moment, then nodded.

“Yes, I have.” (Y/N) spun around, taking his hands in hers.

“Doesn’t make you feel _alive_? Like everything around you _doesn’t exist_?” Adrian nodded.

“It does.” She smiled, lifting one of his arms to twirl under it.

_“Fictional works allow you to bring to life all that goes on up here.”_ (Y/N) reached up, gently tapping his forehead with her pointer finger. _“Worlds beyond wonder exist behind our eyes…and it’s okay to sometimes close your eyes and live within them.”_ He stared at her as if she’d said something profound, and she pulled away, moving down the aisle. “Tell me about your childhood, Adrian.” He followed her, thinking about his childhood.

“It was…a good one. My parents loved me, and they raised me well.” She glanced at him as she pulled another book from a shelf.

“Did you ever get to play with kids your age?” He nodded.

“A few times, here and there. My father moved the castle around and wherever we’d end up, I’d accompany my mother to the village where she would treat the people there.” (Y/N) paused and looked back at him.

“Tell me about Lisa.” At this, he stopped moving, eyes clouding over with an emotion she could only recognize as sadness.

“My mother…was the most beautiful and kindest woman I ever knew. Obviously, she didn’t put up with anyone’s shit…but still, she was so kind and caring to everyone, even if they were the most evil being alive.” (Y/N) stepped closer to him and quietly asked,

“How did you find out she was murdered?” Adrian didn’t look at her and he shut his eyes, whispering,

“I returned to my mother’s hut to find it burned down. The old lady she’d treated just before she was taken was there…she…told me the church had taken her to Târgoviște.” She watched him swallow thickly as he began shaking his head. “I travelled as fast as I could, but by the time I arrived…she was already…she was…” His words fell short and she brought up her hand, resting it on his arm. Adrian took a shuddering breath and continued. “When I returned to the Castle, my father had issued his threat to Târgoviște, and I tried to oppose him.” (Y/N) caught sight of the red scar peeking above his shirt and she reached out and traced the tip of it.

“That’s how you got _this_ , I assume?” He nodded, reaching up to hold her hand firmly against the spot she was tracing. (Y/N) felt his heart thumping underneath and she offered him a sad smile. _“I’m sorry you witnessed such horrors, Adrian. No one deserves to witness that…and they especially don’t deserve it to be someone they care for.”_ He gazed at her, golden eyes filled with a sadness that bled so much, she felt it in her bones. He reached up and caressed her cheek, his thumb gently rubbing her skin.

_“Neither did you.”_ (Y/N) let a smile cross her lips and she shook her head.

_“No, you don’t get to turn this over on me right now Adrian Tepes.”_ His brows furrowed and she reached up, placing her hand atop his, curling her fingers into his palm. “Right now, it’s your time to be _comforted_ , not _comforting_.” Adrian chuckled, pulling his hand away.

“You are _very_ _good_ at making people open up about their pasts, (Y/N).” She shrugged, flashing him a cocky grin.

“I’d even go as far to say that it’s one of my best perks.” She paused, then tipped her head side to side. _“Well, that, my fighting prowess, and my boobs.”_ For a split second, Adrian’s gaze flitted down, and she snapped her fingers, bringing them back upwards immediately. _“Oi. My eyes are not on my chest.”_ A flush rose up on his cheeks causing her to cackle as she turned around, prancing around the other side of the shelf.

_“I’m…I am…sorry.”_ The warmth across his skin only darkened as she cackled louder. When she calmed, she asked,

“So…what were you and Sypha talking about earlier?”

“Are you _jealous_?” (Y/N) scoffed.

_“Oh please, it’s obvious to see that she’s not into you. We both know who she’s fancying.”_ Adrian grunted, then said,

“We were talking about bits of my childhood…and your brother.” She chuckled.

“Was it how _annoying_ he was?”

_“More or less.”_

“And your childhood?”

“We talked about how well-read I was, Sypha mentioned a box full of works on phalluses, then I told her I grew quickly as a child.” (Y/N) went silent for a moment, then muttered,

_“I’m gonna have to ask her where that box was...”_ She cleared her throat then asked, “You grew up fast? I thought you had a good childhood?” He nodded.

_“I did. I’m being literal. I aged very quickly.”_ (Y/N) hummed, then quipped,

_“So that explains why you’re acting like a rebelling teenager despite the fact that you’re an adult.”_ The sound of falling books reached her ears and she worried, “Adrian? Are you alright?” He didn’t respond, but she could hear him grumbling as he picked up the books, and she let out a laugh. _“Oh, I see…Sypha said something extremely similar, didn’t she?”_

“No… _maybe_ …” This caused her to laugh more.

_“Not fun when you’re on the receiving end of the truth talk, is it Adrian?”_

_“Yes, yes, laugh it up Lady Belmont. I’m glad you find my misfortune so funny.”_ (Y/N) peered around the shelf, watching him slide the last book into place.

_“Oh Lord Tepes, I’d never laugh at your poor misfortune. To do so would be a shameful display on my part.”_ She watched a grin grow on his lips as he looked over at her.

_“Something tells me you know all about shameful displays.”_ (Y/N) narrowed her eyes and murmured,

_“And I bet you’d like to see them, hmm?”_ Before he could respond, Sypha shouted for her and Trevor.

“Trevor! (Y/N)! I found something!” (Y/N) looked over the railing down to her as Trevor looked up from the bottom floor and called,

“What?” Sypha pointed to the book.

“I found something you need to see!” Her brother grunted.

“Uh, when I say _‘what’_ , that doesn’t mean _‘I would like to ask even more questions’_.” (Y/N) swore the Speaker was going to chuck the book at his head as she vexed,

“Would you please- _oh you are the most annoying, just stop_!” Trevor let out a dramatic sigh and muttered,

“Alright…I’m coming up.” Sypha smiled and exclaimed,

“I think I’ve found a locking spell. Wait! Listen! Your family have an entire literature here about the castle. They tried for centuries to eliminate its main advantage. It transports itself through magical means!” Adrian passed behind (Y/N), leaning on the railing beside her as Trevor climbed the stairs.

“Right. So, you can’t attack it if it just jumps somewhere else.” The Speaker nodded.

“Yes! Some clever Belmont eventually formulated most of a locking spell! A method to catch the castle and lock it down to a single location so that it can be invaded!” Adrian crossed his arms, deeply in thought then inquired,

“Most of it?” Sypha nodded.

“I can finish the final clauses of it myself. It’s all based on Adamical structures.” The vampire pulled away from the railing, and (Y/N) followed, flipping over the barrier, landing with a thud.

“You keep saying that word.”

“Adamic is the original human language. The one spoken by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The one that was split into all other languages at the Tower of Babel by God to prevent human cooperation.” Both (Y/N) and Adrian raised an eyebrow, and he asked,

“Is _that_ how you understand that story?” (Y/N) leaned over and whispered,

_“I thought the story of the Tower of Babel was how God was concerned that humans had blasphemed by building the tower to avoid a second flood, so God brought into existence multiple languages. Then the existence of other languages was created.”_ Sypha waved a hand.

“We Speakers are the enemy of God. We live in cooperation and hide our stories inside ourselves so he cannot strike them down in jealously.” The two Belmonts and the vampire shared a look, but said nothing, then the sound of rumbling shook the Hold. They turned their gazes upwards, and Sypha announced, _“See! God hates me!”_ The rumbling grew louder, and the Hold began to shake more, and (Y/N) watched dust fall from the ceiling. A cry came from somewhere above, and (Y/N) and Trevor’s hands immediately went to the swords they had sheathed. Adrian looked at them and emphasized,

“That’s probably _not_ God.” (Y/N) looked at Sypha.

“How fast can you finish the spell?” The Speaker looked at the book then back to her.

“I need some time.” She nodded, looking at Adrian.

_“You get the mirror to the index and start working on it while Sypha finishes the spell.”_ (Y/N) eyed Trevor. _“Let’s go.”_ He nodded, and the two ran towards the staircases, weapons unsheathed and ready.


	6. The Belmont's Living Legacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Using this to find Dracula’s castle. Now.” (Y/N)’s eyes went wide, and she questioned,  
> “Wait, you want to bring the castle here? Are you insane?” Adrian looked at her, his usually serious expression returned.  
> “We’re trapped in a box down here. We will be eventually overwhelmed unless we change the nature of the battle.” (Y/N) rubbed her face with her hand and nodded, watching Trevor grip the Morningstar whip at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has continued reading my story! I'm glad you're all enjoying it! Just a reminder, this series is also on my Tumblr, 'RagingBookDragon'. Enjoy! -Thorne

Another quake reverberated through the Hold, sending debris to the floor. (Y/N) scanned the ceiling, straining to hear, but with too much echoing, she couldn’t make out how many were up above them. She turned, looking at the trio. “We need to get that magic mirror working, and we need to get it working _now_.” Trevor glanced at her, then Sypha.

“Can we even get it working?” The Speaker looked up from the book she was holding and nodded.

“I think so.” She stood, shaking her head. “But I can’t do two things at once here.” Adrian placed the mirror down against the bookshelf, glancing back at them.

“I know some Chaldaic and I know how to operate a distance mirror. Which shall I do?” The two turned to Trevor who sputtered,

“Mmm…uh…I can’t do either of those things.” Adrian scoffed, getting nose to nose with her brother.

_“Come on Belmont! Time to choose! You’re either the last son of a warrior dynasty or a lucky drunk!”_ The vampire’s eyes narrowed into a glare and he challenged, _“Which is it?”_ A shudder shook the foundation and (Y/N) looked to Trevor.

_“We don’t have time for this Trevor.”_ She stepped forward, pushing Adrian aside. _“I wasn’t strong enough to be the type of Belmont our family needed or wanted. I try to save creatures Trevor…I couldn’t be what Mother and Father wanted. But you?”_ (Y/N) placed her hands on his shoulders and declared, _“Trevor there’s no one more capable of being the last hunting Belmont than you. **You are the Belmont’s living legacy**.”_ Her brother’s eyes widened at her words, and for a moment, the two stared at one another, then he clenched his jaw and nodded.

“Okay.” (Y/N) dropped her hands and he turned to Adrian. “Get the mirror working, Alucard. Give me force numbers, species, and weapons count. Sypha stays on her job for now. I’ll fortify the point of entry.” She grinned as she watched her brother turn, and she readjusted her grip on her sword. (Y/N) shifted, helping hold the mirror steady with her other hand as Adrian scratched at it. Another shock blasted the Hold, and he looked up.

“I think we’re going to see the size and disposition of the attacking force fairly quickly with our own eyes, Belmont.” Trevor slid the sword into its scabbard and nodded.

“I’m forced to agree. Do you have a further suggestion?” Adrian went quiet for a moment then looked into the mirror.

_“Are you asking my advice?”_ Her brother turned to him.

“We’re working _together_ , Alucard.” He walked over the them. _“You’re still a bastard, but you’re the bastard I chose to fight alongside back in Gresit. Do you have a problem with any of that?”_ For the first time since they’d met, Adrian’s face showed a clear sign of trust and he replied,

_“None at all.”_ Trevor nodded.

“So what do you suggest?” The vampire looked down, then to the mirror.

“Using this to find Dracula’s castle. _Now_.” (Y/N)’s eyes went wide, and she questioned,

_“Wait, you want to bring the castle here? Are you insane?”_ Adrian looked at her, his usually serious expression returned.

“We’re trapped in a box down here. We will be eventually overwhelmed unless we change the nature of the battle.” (Y/N) rubbed her face with her hand and nodded, watching Trevor grip the Morningstar whip at his side.

“Agreed.” He spun around and shouted, “Sypha!” She looked up from her book.

“I’m close to getting it! I just need a little more time!” Her brother nodded, heading to the stairs.

“I’ll protect you both for as long as I can.” (Y/N) turned, starting to follow when Trevor turned to face her and shook his head. _“No. You stay here.”_ (Y/N)’s body seeped with shock and disbelief colored her tone as she asked,

_“What? Why?”_ He pointed to Adrian and Sypha.

_“Because if any of those bastards get past me, I need you here to cover Alucard and Sypha. They’ll be vulnerable while they’re working.”_ She opened her mouth to argue, but he raised his palm.

_“(Y/N). Stop.”_ She frowned, then stepped forward, and took his hand in her opposite one; he clenched her hand tightly and she commanded,

_“You be careful. I swear to god if you get hurt, I’ll kick your ass myself.”_ Trevor grinned and squeezed her hand once more before letting go and running up the staircases. She watched, worry filling her heart when a hand rested on her shoulder. She glanced over, seeing Adrian staring down at her with firm look.

“Focus on the task at hand (Y/N). He’ll be okay.” She took a deep breath and nodded.

“You’re right.” Adrian moved away from her, scratching at the mirror once more. _“Is there anything I can do to help besides looking pretty?”_ He chuckled, eying her as he shifted his hands along the frame.

“Do you have any words of encouragement?” (Y/N) thought for a moment then offered,

_“Fix the mirror or we all die in horrible agony?”_ Adrian huffed a laugh and shook his head.

“Yes, you are _definitely_ Belmont’s sister.” A grin worked onto her lips, but it quickly dropped as the largest of the quakes shook the foundation. She gazed up and muttered,

“I think they’re inside now.” (Y/N) squinted, listening carefully, then she yelled, “Trevor! There’s at least six up there!” His voice sounded from above and she turned to Adrian, gasping at the mirror. The vampire raised a hand and growled,

_“There you are.”_ She moved closer until she was right next to him.

_“Oh my god…it’s actually working.”_ A moment later, the castle shimmered, then disappeared in a pillar of blue lightning, and the two gasped. _“It…it’s gone! Where-”_ Adrian gripped the sides again.

_“He’s jumped it.”_ He focused again, and the castle came back into view, landing in the center of a city. (Y/N) leaned under his arm, inspecting the view.

“That city…he’s in Braila. Why?” She moved out of his way again, seeing Sypha come from around the corner. The Speaker moved quickly, peering under Adrian’s arm.

“Do you see that castle?” He raised his other hand, pointing towards it.

“Take a look.” Sypha nodded and walked to the index, placing the book on the table.

“Good. Keep focused on it. I have to be able to se it to put my intent on it.” (Y/N) handed Adrian back his glove, watching as he pulled it back on and questioned,

“Your _intent_?” The Speaker nodded.

“That’s all magic is, Alucard. Changing things in accordance with my intent. And my intent is to drag that grotesque thing here.” (Y/N) frowned as Sypha walked up to it and muttered,

_“How dare you call that castle grotesque. That is a prime example of gothic architecture. That’s a beautiful castle.”_ The two turned to her with dubious expressions and she raised an eyebrow. _“What? It might be owned by a madman but it’s still a work of art. Sheesh, take your artistic appreciations where you can, you hardasses.”_ The two rolled their eyes then Sypha raised her clenched hand, releasing her fist. The paper in her palm burned to a blue flame, and the two moved out of her way as she raised her arms, blue tendrils of lightening shooting from her fingers into the mirror. She pulled hard, and a rotating geometric orb appeared. Sypha closed her hands around it, grunting as it tugged her side to side. “Sypha, now is _not_ the time to try dancing.” The Speaker grunted again.

_“It’s fighting me! It’s like I’m pulling against an anchor and a water wheel all at once!”_ Adrian stepped forward and clarified,

“He moves the castle using an engine. That’s what’s acting against you.” The sound of breaking railings echoed above them and the two looked up, seeing one of the night creatures hurdling towards them. Their eyes widened as it got closer, and Adrian reached for his sword when (Y/N) stepped in front of him, her fist raised towards it. His jaw went slack as the air crackled and snapped around the two of them, the static running along their bodies. A white light wrapped around her wrist and hand and she twisted her body, putting all the force into her arm and ordered,

_“Fulgur tempestas.”_ She uncurled her fist and he watched as bright lighting shot out of her palm in an unholy fury. The spell hit the beast and within seconds incinerated to ash. Trevor peered over the railing with a look of triumph.

_“Yes! I love that spell! That, and your fire storm one!”_ (Y/N) grinned and spun around, winking at Adrian who wore a look of amazement. She directed her gaze to Sypha who slammed her hands closed. The Speaker’s face pinched in annoyance and she commanded,

_“Do as you’re told!”_ She slammed her hands closed again, and (Y/N) stared at the mirror as the castle jumped and appeared again, then jumped across the city multiple times before finally disappearing completely. Seconds later, the ground shook under their feet, and Sypha pulled away as Adrian steadied the mirror. _“Ha! I did it!”_ The vampire turned to her, a worried expression on his face as he inquired,

“ _Where_ did you land the castle, Sypha?” The Speaker clapped her hands and grinned,

_“Right on top of us!”_ (Y/N) felt her eye twitch as she leaned over, hissing,

_“Sypha Belnades, please tell me you see the giant fucking problem with that exclamation?”_ Sypha’s eyes widened and she murmured,

“Oh…sorry…I see the problem…I landed it on the surface right above this underground space that’s probably only help up by wood and dirt.” She glanced at them, offering a sheepish smile. “Let’s go!” (Y/N) started after her but stopped when she didn’t hear Adrian behind her. She spun around, seeing him staring at the mirror, and she stomped back over, grabbing his jacket, and pulled him with her.

_“Run now, have regret and worries later! I am too young to die in a goddamn basement because SOMEONE DECIDED TO LAND A GODDAMN CASTLE ON TOP OF IT!”_

_“I said I was sorry!”_


	7. To Bear Witness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No…just trying to keep the future in my sights.” Adrian took a step towards her and she shifted her eyes to his, admitting, “Adrian…I’m scared…I’ve fought hordes of creatures singlehandedly and I’ve taken down full units of trained soldiers but… I’m really…fucking terrified right now.” (Y/N) took a deep breath and let it go, feeling her lungs shudder from the worry. Golden eyes bore into hers, and he reached over, gently taking her hand. He ran his thumb over the silver studs on her armored knuckles.  
>  “I can’t say I don’t blame you for having your fear…but I can tell you this…” Adrian squeezed her hand. “We are not destined to die tonight. We will win.” (Y/N) dropped his gaze and took another breath before nodding and clenching her jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter made me really sad to write. Like...really, really sad. Regardless, I'm glad you're all enjoying my story! Reminder, you can find my story on Tumblr at 'RagingBookDragon'! Enjoy! -Thorne

Her brother sent a glance back at them as they stepped into the room. “The staircase is a wreck.” Their gazes directed upwards and he added, “We’re not getting up there without ropes. Start looking.” Trevor picked up his sword and glanced up muttering, “Damn…this is gonna be hard.” (Y/N) grunted, eyeing the shattered staircase.

_“That’s an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.”_ The formation of ice sounded in their ears and they looked down, seeing a platform of it beneath their feet. Sypha raised her hands, quipping,

“We don’t need ropes.” She put her hands together. “Here we go!” The ice jolted as it began to rise, and (Y/N) stumbled forward a bit when a hand reached out to steady here. She glanced at Adrian and nodded.

“Thanks.” He gave her a nod in return, removing his hand, and the two fell into silence. After a moment, he murmured,

“Are you alright?” When she gave him a curious expression, he said, _“I can hear your heart pounding.”_ (Y/N) flashed him a weary look and whispered,

_“So is yours.”_ A troubled smile crossed his lips momentarily before it fell back into a frown. The rest of the ride up was silent between them until red flashed in her vision, and she looked over, eyes widening at the crimson moon. _“…Dear god…what…how…”_ Adrian scowled at the moon.

“My father’s power.” The platform stopped, and they hopped onto the land across, watching as Sypha threw the pillar into the forest. When she realized they were staring at her, she flushed and confessed,

“Well, I didn’t want to leave it in there to melt and ruin all your beautiful books.” Adrian picked up his foot, staring at the bottom of his boot.

“It seems damp enough out here as it is.” Sypha pointed up.

“Oh! But look!” They turned, staring at the castle, and Trevor complimented,

“You did it Sypha.” She nodded.

“Yes but…seeing it is something else _entirely_. _I’m_ _pretty good,_ right?” The siblings nodded.

“You’re the best.” His face turned solemn and he glanced at Adrian. “Alucard, are you ready for this?” The vampire’s face didn’t change as he tilted his head down and muttered,

“ _No_. But let’s put an end to it anyway.” Sypha and Trevor started towards the castle, Adrian behind them, but he stopped when he sensed (Y/N) wasn’t beside him. He turned, gazing at her as she stared at the castle. “(Y/N)?” She didn’t look at him, simply saying,

“When we finish this, I’d love to come out here and paint this castle on a canvas.”

“You paint?” She shook her head.

“ _No_ …just trying to keep the future in my sights.” Adrian took a step towards her and she shifted her eyes to his, admitting, _“Adrian…I’m scared…I’ve fought hordes of creatures singlehandedly and I’ve taken down full units of trained soldiers but… I’m really…fucking terrified right now.”_ (Y/N) took a deep breath and let it go, feeling her lungs shudder from the worry. Golden eyes bore into hers, and he reached over, gently taking her hand. He ran his thumb over the silver studs on her armored knuckles.

“I can’t say I don’t blame you for having your fear…but I can tell you this…” Adrian squeezed her hand. _“We are not destined to die tonight. We will win.”_ (Y/N) dropped his gaze and took another breath before nodding and clenching her jaw.

_“Right.”_ She cleared her throat and pulled her silver sword from her back. _“Let’s go.”_ He nodded as they hurried to catch up with the others. As soon as they stepped into the doorway, the vampires inside stilled, turning to look at them. (Y/N) let her eyes dart around, catching each vampire as Trevor commanded,

“I terrify them, Sypha disorients them, Alucard goes over the top, (Y/N) you support him.” (Y/N) and Sypha nodded, and Adrian pulled the scabbard off his sword, and it spun until the blade rested beside his head. He eyed (Y/N) for a second then said,

_“Begin.”_ The Speaker and her brother sprinted forward, but Adrian and (Y/N) simply walked. Their attacks decimated the foot soldiers and as the blockade of fire surrounded them, the huntress and the vampire surged through it. (Y/N) had to force herself to not follow the white wolf, simply letting him attack the others in front while she thinned the ranks from behind. She ducked, letting one of the silver armored soldiers thrust his sword over her head, and twisted, jamming the sword up into his torso. He let out a pained cry as he doubled over, and she pulled the blade back, letting him drop. Two more advanced on her when a silver sword pierced one in the neck. She quickly delivered a fatal blow to the remaining one. The three remaining vampire generals descended on them. Sypha took care of one, splintering it into thousands of ice shards, while Trevor jerked the other to the ground. (Y/N) started towards the staircase when Adrian’s voice reached her, full of fear. _“(Y/N)!”_ She barely had time to bring her sword up to block the female general’s razor-sharp nails. (Y/N) pulled back, twisting, and dodging each thrust. A failed block sent her sword skittering across the floor and she could see Adrian and Trevor heading her way. The general flashed her an evil smile, thrusting her hand out and (Y/N) simply let her come. She inhaled deeply, closing her fist, the movements around her slowing down as the nails came closer and closer. Just as it neared her, she sidestepped out of its way, the grabbed the vampire’s forearm with her free hand. (Y/N) shoved her fist forward, feeling the snarling heat burn against her skin as she flattened her palm against the general’s chest and ordered,

_“Ignis tempestas.”_ The vampire’s eyes widened as flames engulfed her, and with a dying screech, she fell into a pile of ash. (Y/N) caught the sword Trevor was tossing her way as she met up with the trio. Trevor shook his head at her.

“That was _risky_.” She shrugged, flashing them a smile.

“Didn’t have time to grab Starfang. _Had to think on my feet_.” She looked at Adrian. “What now?” Before he could respond, angry cries came from the stairs and they looked over; (Y/N) frowned at the sight of the night creatures coming their way. _“Oh, fuck me.”_ The four sprinted to the stairs, slashing through creature after creature, then climbing the steps. Waiting outside the study, she listened to Adrian talk to Dracula.

“Father.” Adrian’s voice sounded pained, but Dracula simply replied,

“Son.”

“Your war is _over_.”

“Because _you_ say so?” (Y/N) glanced at Trevor standing on the opposite side of the door, Sypha beside him. He wore a stern look just as she did, but she could see the apprehension in his eyes.

“It _ends_ …” Adrian paused, his voice softening. “in the name of my _mother_.” (Y/N) sensed the atmosphere shift around her, and she shivered at the darkening anger seeping out and through the room.

“It _endures_ in the name of your mother.”

_“I told you before, I won’t let you do it. I grieve with you…but I won’t let you commit genocide.”_ Her heart ached for the young man inside, and Dracula countered,

“You couldn’t stop me before.” At that, Trevor nodded, and the trio entered the room, Sypha and her brother taking his right, (Y/N) at his left. She shifted, raising her sword in a protective stance as Adrian declared,

_“I was alone before.”_ The standoff lasted less than mere moments before Adrian rushed forward, his sword raised. The two vampires went careening into the fireplace. (Y/N)’s eyes widened as Dracula simply pushed the sword back with his fingers, then Adrian pulled away, swinging at him. The older vampire caught his hand, curling his opposite into fist and swung, catching Adrian in the jaw. He went flying face first into the fire, landing with pained grunt. Trevor shifted forward when Dracula came flying at them, and the two women watched them disappear into the hallway. Following them, Sypha cast a fire spell as (Y/N) dove to her brother, hauling him away. The vampire growled at her, charging towards her.

“Speaker magician!” (Y/N) watched Sypha’s hands get knocked away, then Dracula’s claws came upon her, sending her backwards. Trevor gasped, jerking away from (Y/N) as he ran to the vampire.

“Sypha!” (Y/N) cursed.

_“Damnit Trevor! Don’t!”_ He didn’t listen, tugging the tall figure around, letting his fist fly. Dracula simply glared at him and spat,

“You must be the oldest Belmont.” Before Trevor could do anything else, a fist sunk into his stomach, lifting him up. The vampire caught him by the throat, his nails ready to pierce her brother. _“The end of your line.”_ A sword pierced Dracula’s arm and hand, then Sypha turned his body, sending a flash of fire into his face. Stunned, the vampire dropped Trevor but quickly recovered, sending Sypha flying once more. (Y/N) moved as fast as she could but Dracula sent Adrian back as well, crashing into the wall, his sword landing away from him. Trevor pulled the wooden stake from his belt, jabbing the vampire in the side. Seconds later, he was chucked into Sypha, and Adrian lurched towards his father, sending them slamming into the wall. Dracula raised his arms above his son, bring them down on his neck, and (Y/N) gasped as the ground cracked beneath them. She said a silent prayer that Adrian wasn’t a human because he wouldn’t have gotten up if had been. Adrian broke his father’s grip, snapping the vampire on either side of the neck before he was shoved back. She gripped his arm as he came towards her and she grunted as she dug her feet into the carpet to keep from going with him. He dropped to his knee beside her and she pulled him up to his feet again, moving forward, calling,

_“Trevor, now!”_ The siblings moved in familiar fluidity, and as the Morningstar hit Dracula in the face, (Y/N) flipped her body backwards, bringing the heel of her boot up under his chin as she shouted, _“The second Belmont sends her regards you genocidal motherfucker!”_ She dropped to the ground, watching as her momentum combined with the Morningstar exploded, sending him soaring back.

A cloud of smoke entered the hallway and as it cleared, they watched Dracula hit the ground on his hands and knees with a loud thud. He chuckled darkly as he rose. _“The Morningstar Whip. Well played Belmonts.”_ He gazed at them. “But I am no _ordinary_ vampire to be killed by your _human_ magics.” He crossed his arms over his chest, and (Y/N) felt a surge of magic fill the air as he bellowed, **_“I am Vlad Dracula Tepes, and I have had enough!”_ **He sent his arms downwards and (Y/N) gaped as a ball of fire and stone grew in the hallway. Sypha moved ahead of them, throwing her arms out to stop it. It helped, but just barely, and it kept moving towards them. Trevor placed his back up against the Speaker’s, holding her steady, and just as (Y/N) was going to yell for them to dive into one of the rooms, Adrian appeared before them, shoving his sword into the fireball. He grit his teeth as he strained against it when he felt someone’s back pressed up against his. Adrian peeked over his shoulder to see (Y/N) slamming both her swords into the ground beside him. That’s when he noticed the silver chain connecting the two of them together. (Y/N) gripped both sides of the chain and pulled as hard as she could, keeping the two of them in place. She dropped her head back between his shoulder blades, yelling,

_“I can’t hold this forever Adrian! Hurry! Push off and send it back!”_ He shifted his feet and (Y/N) wrapped her arms in the chain and pushed with all her might, feeling the pressure on her back relieve as he thrust forward. An explosion rocked the floor and the two vampires disappeared into the floor above them. (Y/N) sprinted up the stairs, leaving the other two to follow after her. Given her enhanced speed, she reached Adrian and his father first.

She skidded around the corner, barely able to catch Adrian’s figure as he flashed around the engine room in an eerie red aura. Adrian landed on one of the arches, and (Y/N) glanced at Dracula, watching as he went still. Her heart dropped and she yelped, _“Adrian no!”_ Her cry fell on deaf ears and all she could do was stare as his father reached out, catching Adrian by the face. Dracula lifted him into the air, repeatedly slamming him down into the ground, and she recoiled as Adrian cried out in pain, the stone cracking under him. His father lifted him up, and she gaped at how limp he’d gone. A moment passed, then a punch sent him through the wall. (Y/N) couldn’t help the screech that tore through her. **_“ADRIAN!”_** Dracula disappeared after him, her hot on his trail until they ended up a small bedroom. (Y/N) raised her sword, intent to strike, but lowered it when the vampire gasped, the air stilling around them, the blood rage dissipating.

Dracula bent over, raising a hand to his chest, murmuring, _“It’s your home.”_ At his words, (Y/N)’s arms went slack, and she looked around the room seeing the bed, desk, and toys. Adrian clambered to his feet, and the two vampires looked to the ceiling, staring at the hand drawn star map. (Y/N) crept around the large vampire, making her way to Adrian’s side; he stuck out his arm, pulling her behind him. Her eyes drifted to the window and she watched the red glow fade from the sky, replaced with silvery moonlight. The two glanced to Dracula, watching as he crossed his arms over his chest, lamenting, _“My boy…I’m—I…I’m killing my boy.”_ He turned, walking to a framed picture, and (Y/N) realized it was Adrian as a baby with Lisa and his father. _“Lisa…I’m killing our boy.”_ The vampire stared at the picture, talking to her. _“We painted this room. We…made these toys. It’s our boy, Lisa.”_ She placed a hand on Adrian’s back as he tore the wooden peg from the bed, moving to his father. Dracula raised his clenched fists to his hands and cried, _“Your greatest gift to me…and I’m…killing him.”_ His father lowered his hands, gazing at his son, his eyes full of regret. _“I must already be dead.”_ Tears welled in (Y/N)’s vision as Adrian stepped up to his waiting father. She wanted to look away, wanted to shield herself from what was about to happen, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to do so; **_someone had to bear witness to this family’s suffering_**. Adrian raised his arm, jamming the stake up into Dracula’s heart. The vampire bent over with a gurgle, blood poured down his wound and mouth, and blooded tears fell from his eyes as he whispered, _“Son.”_ Adrian choked out his reply.

_“F-Father.”_ He pushed the stake in farther, and (Y/N) listened to the ancient vampire’s heartbeat begin to slow. Adrian took a deep breath and pushed the last of the stake through his father’s heart. The mirror shattered as Dracula stood up, gurgling as he began to wither away. The walking corpse started towards Adrian but Trevor and Sypha rounded the corner, and Trevor swung his sword, removing the head from its shoulders. It dropped to the ground along with the body, and Sypha stepped forward.

“Alucard. Step back.” She raised her hand. “Let me finish this.” When he didn’t move, (Y/N) took his hand, gently tugging him back with her. His hand squeezed hers so tightly she thought her bones were going to snap, but she kept quiet as Sypha burned the body. As the body burned, otherworldly shrieking filled the room along with a cloud of pure black smoke. It swam around the room and they turned their faces away, as the smoke escaped into the castle and out into the night where it faded.

When it cleared, all that remained was a scorch mark and a wedding band. Sypha groaned as she clasped her arm and asked, “Is…is that it?” Trevor ran a hand down his face.

“Alucard? Did we…do it?” Adrian helped (Y/N) to her feet, then gazed at the spot where his father had died.

“We did.” He took a breath _“I…killed my father.”_

“You ended a war on humankind. Don’t get weepy about it.” (Y/N) scowled at his poor choice of words, but Sypha nodded.

“Trevor’s right. You’ve _saved_ _countless_ lives.” She took a step towards the remaining vampire. _“But it’s alright to mourn the man, too.”_ Adrian didn’t speak for a few moments, then he let out a sigh.

_“He died a long time ago.”_ (Y/N) placed her hand on his shoulder, peering into his eyes.

_“You didn’t kill your father Adrian.”_ She squeezed and gave him a sad smile. _“You saved him.”_ Adrian shut his eyes and she removed her hand, gesturing for the others to leave, “We’ll be waiting for you by the staircase. Take your time.”

The four of them descended the stairs in silence each stopping in the middle of the war room. Trevor frowned as he looked away from Sypha’s wounds, and Adrian stood a few feet away, his hands shaking by his sides. (Y/N) kept her gaze to the ground, not willing to let herself speak, knowing her words wouldn’t bring comfort. Sypha gently placed her hand on Adrian’s shoulder, smiling at him, then she took Trevor’s hand. An arm wrapped around (Y/N)’s waist and she looked up, seeing Adrian smiling sadly at her. She returned it with one of her own as she leaned into him, and the four made their way to the entrance, stepping into the sunlight. (Y/N) rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, _“I’ve never seen a more beautiful sunrise.”_ No one spoke and she questioned, _“Adrian…can you paint?”_ He looked down at her and murmured,

“I’m no expert…but I know my way around a canvas.” (Y/N) grinned and turned her head up, gazing at him.

_“Will you teach me how to paint someday?”_ The smile that lit up his face made her heart soar and he nodded, shifting his gaze back to the Belmont home.

_“I’d love nothing more than to teach you.”_ She nodded, turning to look upon her old home and whispered,

**_“Then it’s a date.”_**


	8. The Recovering Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What…is this thing?” He glanced at it, then returned,  
> “It’s a remembrance device.” (Y/N) looked up at him.  
> “A what?” Adrian reached forward and waved his hand over it, and she watched the top rise, revealing small pieces of metal surrounding a dial. It only served to confuse her more as he reached in and pressed a button. Soft music flowed through the room as the lights flipped on and (Y/N) spun around, amazement filling her as she looked around. The usual dark interior lost its grip as golden light filled the room. She turned to look at Adrian, who stood beside her, his palm outstretched to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe I'm almost done with this! I hope you're enjoying the story! This is on my Tumblr at, 'RagingBookDragon'! Enjoy! -Thorne

The three days that followed Dracula’s death were calm as the four cleaned around the castle and recovered from injuries. Trevor wanted to leave and find a bar as soon as he’d woken up the next morning, but (Y/N) insisted that he wait a few days griping, _“Look dumbass, you took like four direct hits from Dracula, you’ve obviously broken a few ribs and bruised your organs. We’ll find you a bottle of wine while you rest.”_ It had satiated him long enough, but on the third day, her brother insisted that they leave the next morning. (Y/N) relented, deciding to spend her final day around Adrian, not that they hadn’t been spending the prior days apart from one another. He always seemed to find her, no matter where she’d been exploring in the castle.

She slipped between the heavy double doors, entering quietly into the large room. Her eyes drifted along the floor to the walls, and she was surprised to see that it hadn’t been damaged in the slightest. The heels of her boots clicked as she walked along the marble floor, and she stopped in front of a device that made her tilt her head in confusion. (Y/N) walked around it, gently prodding the metal on the sides. She stared at it, then grinned and murmured, _“I can hear you, you know.”_ A moment later, Adrian appeared beside her, smiling down at her.

“You’ve got good hearing (Y/N).” She nodded, then pointed at the device.

“What… _is_ this thing?” He glanced at it, then returned,

“It’s a remembrance device.” (Y/N) looked up at him.

_“A what?”_ Adrian reached forward and waved his hand over it, and she watched the top rise, revealing small pieces of metal surrounding a dial. It only served to confuse her more as he reached in and pressed a button. Soft music flowed through the room as the lights flipped on and (Y/N) spun around, amazement filling her as she looked around. The usual dark interior lost its grip as golden light filled the room. She turned to look at Adrian, who stood beside her, his palm outstretched to her.

_“May I have this dance, Lady Belmont?”_ (Y/N) huffed a laugh, placing her hand in his, relishing in the feeling of him pulling her against him. She looked up at him and said,

“I can’t believe your father invented a device that remembers music.” He met her gaze and murmured,

“Actually, _my_ _mother_ helped him invent this…” Adrian drew his gaze around the room as they swayed. “I used to sit and watch them dance for hours.”

_“Was your mother good at dancing? Because you certainly are.”_ He chuckled, shaking his head.

“She was _terrible_ at it. She’d step on his feet almost every dance and stammer out apologies…but…he simply smiled and led on. He…always looked so _happy_ when they danced.” (Y/N) frowned and leaned forward, pressing her cheek to his chest. Adrian’s arms came up, tightening around her, and the two fell into silence. After a moment, (Y/N) raised her hand, laying it on his shoulder and whispered,

_“The events that led us to meet were unfortunate…but…”_ She tilted her head, gazing up at him. _“But I wouldn’t change a thing if it meant I wouldn’t meet you again.”_ Adrian met her gaze and swallowed thickly, breathing,

_“Neither would I.”_ For a moment, neither said a word and (Y/N) realized they’d stopped moving as Adrian leaned down, brushing his lips against hers. She let her eyes shut as he cupped her cheek and gently tilted her chin up. When they parted, she felt him press his forehead to hers and murmur, _“I would like you to stay with me…here…in the castle.”_ (Y/N) clenched her jaw and sighed.

_“I’d love nothing more…but…we both know I can’t stay.”_ She opened her eyes to see him gazing back at her, then he pulled back and muttered,

_“I know you can’t.”_ (Y/N) looked away as she untangled herself from his arms. An awkward air hung between them and she pointed to the door.

“I should go find Trevor and Sypha. Never know what trouble they’ll find if I don’t supervise.” He offered her a polite smile, and (Y/N) couldn’t get out of the ballroom fast enough. When she did find them, they were walking out of the observatory. She smiled walking up to them. “How are you two feeling?” Sypha returned her smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“My arm is still sore, but I’m alright.” (Y/N) eyed Trevor who tipped his head side to side.

_“I can’t bend over without my ribs feeling like they’re gonna shit out my arse, so, I guess you can tell how I’m feeling.”_ She snorted, walking beside them as they entered the main hall. A few birds who’d been startled from their spots flew out the doors, and Sypha asked,

“What do you think he’s going to do know?” Before either of them could respond, Adrian’s voice sounded from the top of the staircase.

“I had a plan, you know.” They turned, watching as he descended the stairs. “I was going back to Gresit, return to my vault, go back to sleep.” Trevor placed a hand on his belt and asked,

_“But?”_ Adrian moved towards them.

“If I leave the castle here…all his work is inside it. His libraries, his materials, his knowledge. What happens to all that if the structure is abandoned?” He hit the bottom of the steps and added, “I can’t just leave it here. It’d be nothing but a grave to be robbed.” He paused, then he vowed, _“So, let it be my grave.”_ (Y/N)’s face pinched at his words, feeling the guilt crawl under her skin until Trevor countered with,

_“No.”_ Adrian’s raised an eyebrow, tone humorful as he repeated,

_“No?”_ Her brother nodded.

“No. We can’t move this thing.” He pointed at the Speaker beside them. _“Sypha broke it.”_ The magician put a hand to her chest and griped,

_“I did not.”_ Adrian glanced at her.

_“You kind of did.”_ Sypha crossed her arms over her chest, adamantly refusing,

“I _do not break_ things.” (Y/N) snickered, nudging the her in the side.

_“You really broke this thing.”_ Trevor eyed the other two.

“So, we agreed she broke it.” (Y/N) and Adrian nodded.

_“Oh, yes.”_

 _“Absolutely.”_ Her brother looked back at the vampire.

“So, it’s staying right here, _forever_ ,” He thrust his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to the Belmont home. “ _right on top of the Belmont Hold._ Which is now _also_ open to the world.” Trevor moved. _“Up here, your father’s collected knowledge. Down there, the collected knowledge of your mother’s people. As above, so below. Both halves of you, Alucard.”_ Adrian cocked an eyebrow, offering,

_“I’m listening.”_ Trevor grinned, wrapping his arm around the vampire’s shoulders as he declared,

 _“Behold, you sulky, half-vampire bastard. I bequeath you the Belmont Hold.”_ Everyone’s eyes widened at his words. “Make that _and_ the castle your _home, not your grave_. _Be it’s last defender_.” (Y/N) peeked at Adrian, watching his features morph into pure disbelief.

_“You’re…giving me your home?”_ Her brother nodded.

_“It’s yours. My childhood home and your childhood home. Protect it. Make something out of it. Something better than a pile of ruins and a symbol of terror.”_ For a second, (Y/N) thought Adrian was going to cry, but then he shook his head.

_“I can’t do that.”_ Her brows furrowed and she inquired,

_“What? Why can’t you?”_ He looked over, scanning her face.

_“Your brother might be the oldest, but that is still your home too. It wouldn’t be right for me to take that from you.”_ (Y/N) felt her heart warm at his thoughtfulness and she leaned over, coaxing,

_“Tell you what, if you let me come back whenever I want to read all the books I want, then I’d be okay with giving it to you. Sound fair?”_ Adrian opened his mouth to refute, but an arched eyebrow from (Y/N) told him that she wasn’t just asking to come back to read the books, she was asking to come back to him. He sighed, a small smile crossing his lips as he nodded.

“Alright…that’s _fair_.” (Y/N) squeezed his arm then pulled away, bowing slightly she affirmed,

_“Then Adrian Tepes, as the last owner of the Belmont Hold, I, (Y/N) Belmont, hereby entrust all that it is, and all that it will ever be, to you.”_ Adrian’s face lit up at her at her words, his smile broad and full of joy, making her heart sing.

_“I-I don’t…thank you (Y/N).”_ He bowed his head slightly and she leaned down, quipping,

_“Oh my god, are you crying?”_ Adrian brought his hand up, rubbing at his eyes.

“ _No_ , I’m _not_ crying.” (Y/N) smirked and glanced at Trevor, joking,

_“You better get a good look brother of mine. I don’t think you’re going to see such a comedic scene for an awfully long time.”_ Trevor matched her evil look, crossing placing his hands on his hips quipping,

_“All the times I’ve made an ass of myself are so worth being able to see this.”_ Adrian glared at the siblings, then Sypha clapped her hands.

“Come on you three, let’s go get something to eat.” The four, well, Trevor and Adrian, started to argue while they trekked to the kitchen, Sypha and (Y/N) simply rolling their eyes.

** The Next Morning: **

Her heart felt heavy as she helped Trevor stack their belongings into the wagon. She and Adrian hadn’t spoken alone since her brother and Sypha had gone off the afternoon before, and their conversation had been awkward even then. She paused, holding the bag in her arms as she stared at the back. A gentle nudge brought her back and she looked over, seeing Trevor staring back at her. “You sure you wanna come?” (Y/N) cocked an eyebrow.

“What are you talking about? _Of course I want to_.” She looked between Sypha and Adrian who were quietly talking. “ _Someone_ has to make sure that you two stay out of trouble.” Her brother looked like he had something to say, but he opted not to speak on it, instead, he took the last pack from her, tossing it into the back before turning to look at the Speaker.

“Sypha…we’re ready.” The magician turned around and nodded, and Adrian walked them to the front of the wagon, helping Sypha up. He glanced down at (Y/N), questioning,

“Are you sitting up there as well?” She shook her head.

“No, I’m getting into the back.” He nodded.

“Then I’ll help you up too.” Adrian directed his gaze to Trevor, who offered him a small smile and a wave. The vampire smiled, then it turned into a smirk as he flipped her brother off. Trevor’s face dropped and he scoffed,

_“Ah, fuck you.”_ The women laughed, and Adrian walked (Y/N) to the back where the two looked at one another, neither moving. She took a deep breath, then asked,

_“I hope you’ll keep a room waiting for me. You never know when I might decide to drop in.”_ Adrian took her hand, running his thumb over her knuckles.

 _“I’ll keep them all waiting for you if it means you’ll drop in sooner.”_ (Y/N) chuckled.

_“Don’t say something like that…I might never leave when I come back.”_ He met her gaze, golden eyes dead serious.

_“I wouldn’t mind that at all.”_ A smile grew across her face, but it turned into a scowl as Trevor coughed dramatically. (Y/N) rolled her eyes, then glanced over her shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming.” She turned back to the vampire and leaned over, pressing her lips to his cheek. He helped her into the wagon, and she murmured, _“Wait for me Adrian Tepes…I’ll be home soon.”_ Adrian’s eyes widened, then he smiled, nodding his head.

_“I eagerly await your return (Y/N) Belmont.”_ She grinned at him as she knocked against the bed, feeling it lurch as the wagon moved forward. (Y/N) didn’t shift her gaze from Adrian, even until he was a small speck in the distance. When he disappeared completely, she curled up into the bed of the wagon and buried her face into her knees, her heart breaking with each minute that passed.


	9. Do You Believe It's Destiny?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m not preoccupied.” Her brother snorted and nodded his head.  
> “Yes, you are. I’ve never seen you make a mistake until two days ago.” He eyed her from the corner of his eye. “You were so lost in your own head that by the time you realized those bastards were around, they were already launching themselves at us.” (Y/N) grimaced and he furrowed his brows. “I’m not saying this to make you feel bad…I’m saying this because you obviously can’t function with this on your mind.” She went quiet for a moment, then asked,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! At the end! I can't believe I've written this story this fast! Strike while the iron's hot lol! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've enjoyed writing it! I can't wait to see what comes next for me! Thank you all for reading! -Thorne

** Set A Few Days After PT. 7 **

She drew the waterstone along the silver blade, comforted by the familiar sound of the metal grating against the rock. Occasionally, she glanced around, eyes scanning for more creatures of the night possibly sneaking up on them. They’d been attacked the second day they left the castle, and it was by pure luck that she’d heard them before it was too late. Even if they’d already been attacked that afternoon, she expected another attack to come around soon. A hand on her shoulder drew her from her thoughts and she looked over, seeing Trevor frowning at her. “Will you _sit_ _down_? You’ve been standing there ever since we finished the fight.” (Y/N) grunted at him, putting her back against the wagon. “Seriously, you’re so tense, _you’re spooking the horses_.” He paused, then crossed his arms over his chest. “It’s _him_ that’s making you so _restless_ , _isn’t it? Adrian?_ ” At the use of the vampire’s real name, (Y/N) finally nodded.

_“…Yeah…it’s Adrian.”_ Trevor mimicked her position, reclining against the wagon side next to her.

“I’ve never seen you _this_ preoccupied.” She raised an eyebrow, stowing the waterstone in her pack as she sheathed the silver sword.

“I’m not _preoccupied_.” Her brother snorted and nodded his head.

“ _Yes, you are_. I’ve never seen you make a mistake until two days ago.” He eyed her from the corner of his eye. “You were so lost in your own head that by the time you realized those bastards were around, _they were already launching themselves at us_.” (Y/N) grimaced and he furrowed his brows. “I’m not saying this to make you feel bad…I’m saying this because you obviously can’t function with this on your mind.” She went quiet for a moment, then asked,

“…Trevor?”

“Hmm?”

_“Do you think it’s possible to know that you’re destined to spend your life with someone even if you’ve only known them a week and a half?”_ Trevor didn’t speak, but she watched him gaze at Sypha who was hunched over, her face buried in a book Adrian had given her before they’d left. After a minute he responded,

_“If you’d asked me this exactly a week and a half ago, I’d’ve told you no and that you were out of your fucking mind.”_ (Y/N) felt her lips tug into a smile as she inquired,

“And _now_?” He smiled as Sypha let out a shout of exclamation, then murmured,

“And now…I certainly think so.” (Y/N) looked away, her eyes turned to the road they’d been traveling on for almost three days. Trevor stood from the wagon and muttered, “I’ll be right back.” She nodded as he walked past her and she listened to him climb into the wagon, rummaging around. A few minutes later he returned holding her pack. (Y/N) raised an eyebrow and questioned,

“Uh…why do you have my pack?” Trevor held it out for her to take, answering,

“You’ve got enough food and water to last you three days if you ration correctly.” (Y/N) took the pack with a weak hand and her brother frowned as she dropped it and lurched forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. Trevor curled his arms around her waist, hugging her tightly and whispered, “I won’t be able to see you for some time.” She nodded, feeling tears form under her lids as she sniffled.

“I’m going to miss you…so much.” His arms tightened, then he pulled away, cupping her cheeks in is hands. By now, the tears were flowing down her cheeks, and he ran his thumbs under her eyes, brushing them away.

_“Are you crying (Y/N) Belmont?”_ She let out a watery laugh, poking his cheek.

“I don’t know Trevor Belmont, _are you_?” He nodded, then pressed his lips to her forehead, and said,

 _“I love you, sister of mine. More than you will ever know.”_ (Y/N) nodded her head, swallowing the lump in her throat as she replied,

_“And I love you dear brother.”_ A cough sounded beside them, and they pulled away, wiping at their eyes as Sypha asked,

“Am I interrupting something?” (Y/N) cleared her throat and retorted,

“What? No. We just got sand in our eyes.” The Speaker narrowed her eyes at them, a smile on her lips as she looked at the ground.

“What’s your pack doing out?” (Y/N)’s mouth opened and closed, and Trevor covered with,

“She left something at that sulky bastard’s castle, so she’s going back to get it.” Sypha raised an eyebrow.

“And what did she leave?” (Y/N) glowered at him as she picked up her pack.

_“Something very important.”_

“Your _heart_ perhaps?” She directed her glower at the Speaker who simply giggled and pulled her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re going back. You’ve been practically _inconsolable_ since we left.” (Y/N) scoffed, pulling the pack across her back.

_“I have not.”_ The other two shared a knowing look then stared at her dubiously. _“Okay, I’ve been distracted and possibly depressed. But I haven’t been inconsolable.”_ (Y/N) turned, beginning to make her way down the road when she stopped, spinning around to look at her brother and her friend. They flashed her broad smiles, but Trevor’s lips wobbled, and she gave them one of her own, waving her hand as she turned back around, beginning to sprint down the road. When he couldn’t see her back anymore, he leaned over, burying his face in Sypha’s shoulder, who simply hugged him as he cried.

** Three Days Later: **

Her heart pounded against her ribcage so hard she was sure it was going to burst out of her chest, but she didn’t stop running. Her feet slapped against the ground and as the road leading to the castle came into view, she felt a grin slide onto her face. She turned onto it off the main road and sprinted towards the large doors. Despite the blood pounding through her, she felt so tired. She’d barely slept through the nights as she travelled back, too excited to rest. She skidded to a halt in front of the doors and shoved them with the remaining strength she had, barreling inside towards the stairs. Exhilaration raced through her veins as she called for him. _“Adrian! Adrian I’m here! I’m back!”_ She’d made it up the first set of stairs as he appeared at the top of the second, eyes wide with disbelief.

“(Y/N)?” She nodded breathlessly.

“I’m…I’m here.” He took a step down as she took one up.

_“What are you doing here? And why are you breathing so hard? Did you run all the way here?”_ (Y/N) nodded dropping her pack, relief spreading through her as the weight decreased.

_“More or less. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”_ Adrian’s brows furrowed as he took another step.

“Why did you come back so soon? I thought you were staying with them for a while?” Her hands shifted to her chest where she unbuckled her sword scabbards, not caring as they clattered to the ground behind her.

“I was, but they tore me a new one after telling me I was inconsolable and sent me packing.” Adrian stopped moving, but she didn’t, continuing to climb the steps. “I realized something a few days ago.” He stared at her, golden eyes cautious as he asked,

_“And that was?”_ (Y/N) stopped in front of him, staring into his eyes as she professed,

_“I love you.”_ His eyes grew wide and she reached up, taking his hands. _“I’m in love with you, Adrian Tepes…and there is nowhere I’d rather be than right here, right by your side.”_ She took a breath. _“I know we’ve only-”_ She didn’t get to finish as he jerked forward, crashing his lips to hers. (Y/N) smiled, and they wrapped their arms around one another, pulling their body’s together. When they parted, they stared into each other’s eyes before breaking into laughter. Adrian pressed another kiss to her lips as he confessed,

_“I’m in love with you too.”_ He looked down at her, but his heart dropped when he caught sight of the grimace on her face. _“Darling? What’s wrong?”_ (Y/N) barely had time to glance at him and mutter,

_“I think I’m gonna pass out.”_ Before he could say anything, she sunk in his arms, head lolling backwards as she lost consciousness. Knowing she was simply exhausted, he huffed, bending down to pick her up. He cradled her to his chest protectively as if she was a precious gem. And all he could think about as he climbed the stairs was how the loneliness he’d been feeling since she’d left, had disappeared, replaced with a sense of filling joy.


End file.
